diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/filesys/avm/AVMDiskDriver.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/filesys/avm/AVMDiskDriver.java
index 8edfc9bcc8..aeb6e2b1d8 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/filesys/avm/AVMDiskDriver.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/filesys/avm/AVMDiskDriver.java
@@ -1510,11 +1510,11 @@ public class AVMDiskDriver extends AlfrescoDiskDriver implements DiskInterface {
 		if ( file.isDirectory())
 			throw new AccessDeniedException();
 
-    	// If the content channel is not open for the file then start a transaction
+    	// If the content channel is not open for the file, or the channel is not writable, then start a transaction
     	
     	AVMNetworkFile avmFile = (AVMNetworkFile) file;
     	
-    	if ( avmFile.hasContentChannel() == false)
+    	if ( avmFile.hasContentChannel() == false || avmFile.isWritable() == false)
     		sess.beginTransaction( m_transactionService, true);
     	
 		// Write the data to the file
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/filesys/avm/AVMNetworkFile.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/filesys/avm/AVMNetworkFile.java
index 573b2d7485..ff1ea30e9f 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/filesys/avm/AVMNetworkFile.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/filesys/avm/AVMNetworkFile.java
@@ -467,6 +467,16 @@ public class AVMNetworkFile extends NetworkFile {
         }
     }
     
+    /**
+     * Return the writable state of the content channel
+     * 
+     * @return boolean
+     */
+    public final boolean isWritable()
+    {
+    	return m_writable;
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Return the network file details as a string
      *