diff --git a/src/device_serial.c b/src/device_serial.c
index efe3e92..1bdcc63 100644
--- a/src/device_serial.c
+++ b/src/device_serial.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #include "bus.h"
 #include "device.h"
 
-const static char *pipepath = "/tmp/serial"; /* should really be configurable */
+const static char *pipepath = "/tmp/serial_tx"; /* should really be configurable */
 
 struct device_serial_priv {
 	int pipefd;
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ device_serial_write_1(void *vd, uint16_t offset, uint8_t val)
 	d = (device_t *) vd;
 	dp = d->aux;
 
+	/*fprintf(stderr, "writing to fd %d val %x", dp->pipefd, val);*/
+
 	write(dp->pipefd, &val, 1);
 	fsync(dp->pipefd);
 }
@@ -65,8 +67,13 @@ device_serial_init()
 
 	dp = (struct device_serial_priv *) malloc(sizeof(struct device_serial_priv));
 	d->aux = dp; 
+		
+	if (mkfifo(pipepath, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR) != 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Creating FIFO for serial port failed!\n");
+		/* perror, handle this failure... */
+	}
 
-	dp->pipefd = mkfifo(pipepath, 600);
+	dp->pipefd = open(pipepath, O_RDWR);
 
 	return d;
 }
@@ -75,6 +82,6 @@ void
 device_serial_finish(device_t *d)
 {
 	free(d->aux);
-	//close pipe
+	//close pipe etc.
 }