diff --git a/src/devices/imagedev/harddriv.cpp b/src/devices/imagedev/harddriv.cpp
index 6903e847abd..a6e0276b8ff 100644
--- a/src/devices/imagedev/harddriv.cpp
+++ b/src/devices/imagedev/harddriv.cpp
@@ -112,8 +112,11 @@ void harddisk_image_device::device_start()
 
 void harddisk_image_device::device_stop()
 {
-	if (m_hard_disk_handle)
+	if (m_hard_disk_handle != nullptr)
+	{
 		hard_disk_close(m_hard_disk_handle);
+		m_hard_disk_handle = nullptr;
+	}
 }
 
 image_init_result harddisk_image_device::call_load()
@@ -234,8 +237,11 @@ image_init_result harddisk_image_device::internal_load_hd()
 
 	m_chd = nullptr;
 
-	if (m_hard_disk_handle)
+	if (m_hard_disk_handle != nullptr)
+	{
 		hard_disk_close(m_hard_disk_handle);
+		m_hard_disk_handle = nullptr;
+	}
 
 	/* open the CHD file */
 	if (software_entry() != nullptr)
diff --git a/src/lib/util/chd.cpp b/src/lib/util/chd.cpp
index 19836a8ee2a..0db64344861 100644
--- a/src/lib/util/chd.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/util/chd.cpp
@@ -2397,10 +2397,7 @@ chd_error chd_file::open_common(bool writeable)
 		if (memcmp(rawheader, "MComprHD", 8) != 0)
 			throw CHDERR_INVALID_FILE;
 
-		// only allow writes to the most recent version
 		m_version = be_read(&rawheader[12], 4);
-		if (writeable && m_version < HEADER_VERSION)
-			throw CHDERR_UNSUPPORTED_VERSION;
 
 		// read the header if we support it
 		util::sha1_t parentsha1 = util::sha1_t::null;
@@ -2412,6 +2409,10 @@ chd_error chd_file::open_common(bool writeable)
 			default:    throw CHDERR_UNSUPPORTED_VERSION;
 		}
 
+		// only allow writes to the most recent version
+		if (m_version < HEADER_VERSION)
+			m_allow_writes = false;
+
 		if (writeable && !m_allow_writes)
 			throw CHDERR_FILE_NOT_WRITEABLE;