diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index c960995b..13c12dbd 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ SnapRAID HISTORY
  * Removed the '-H,--filter-nohidden' option. It doesn't make sense to
    have it as command line option.
    You must use the 'nohidden' option in the configuration file.
+ * When opening files in read-only mode, also specify the noatime flag,
+   to avoid to update the file access time.
 
 1.13 2012/11
 ============
diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index ba5dd499..f18449dd 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -32,6 +32,14 @@ is too complex.
 
 - v2.x
 
+* Checked the include/exclude rules for FILE to include also directories.
+This is needed to allow to exclude files, before even calling stat() on them
+to know if they are file or directory.
+There are some cases where this is needed, like for the ".gvfs" mounted fuse directory by
+gnome that cannot have stat() called *EVEN* by root.
+This is totally wrong, because the stat() manpage explicitely tells that no permissions are
+needed to call stat().
+
 * Remove the old MD5 support.
 
 * A new 'init' command to differentiate the first 'sync' operation.
@@ -104,11 +112,6 @@ This is a list of rejected TODO items.
 data doesn't overlap, do not recompute it.
 - It's going to work only in RAID5 mode and only in special cases.
 
-* Uses the O_NOATIME flag if run as 'root'.
-- A better solution is to mount the disk with the "noatime" mount option.
-Note also that at mount time you can also use the "nodiratime", and this is
-the only way to specify it.
-
 * Implements a multithread sync command.
 - At now it's questionable if it will result in a performance improvment.
 The murmur3 hash, and the RAID5/6 computations are so fast that even a single
diff --git a/handle.c b/handle.c
index 731b58b1..aaa5d07f 100644
--- a/handle.c
+++ b/handle.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ int handle_create(struct snapraid_handle* handle, struct snapraid_file* file)
 	/* if failed for missing permission */
 	if (handle->f == -1 && errno == EACCES) {
 		/* retry without requesting write permission */
-		handle->f = open(handle->path, O_RDONLY | O_BINARY | O_SEQUENTIAL | O_NOFOLLOW);
+		handle->f = open(handle->path, O_RDONLY | O_BINARY | O_SEQUENTIAL | O_NOFOLLOW | O_NOATIME);
 	}
 
 	if (handle->f == -1) {
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ int handle_open(struct snapraid_handle* handle, struct snapraid_file* file)
 	
 	/* opening in sequential mode in Windows */
 	/* do not follow links to ensure to open the real file */
-	handle->f = open(handle->path, O_RDONLY | O_BINARY | O_SEQUENTIAL | O_NOFOLLOW);
+	handle->f = open(handle->path, O_RDONLY | O_BINARY | O_SEQUENTIAL | O_NOFOLLOW | O_NOATIME);
 
 	if (handle->f == -1) {
 		/* invalidate for error */
diff --git a/parity.c b/parity.c
index c7daa43b..a0e3e89f 100644
--- a/parity.c
+++ b/parity.c
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ int parity_open(struct snapraid_parity* parity, const char* path)
 	pathcpy(parity->path, sizeof(parity->path), path);
 
 	/* opening in sequential mode in Windows */
-	parity->f = open(parity->path, O_RDONLY | O_BINARY | O_SEQUENTIAL);
+	parity->f = open(parity->path, O_RDONLY | O_BINARY | O_SEQUENTIAL | O_NOATIME);
 	if (parity->f == -1) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Error opening parity file '%s'. %s.\n", parity->path, strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
diff --git a/portable.h b/portable.h
index e4e5805f..31927634 100644
--- a/portable.h
+++ b/portable.h
@@ -137,6 +137,14 @@
 #define STAT_NSEC(st) -1
 #endif
 
+/**
+ * Defines O_NOATIME if absent.
+ * O_NOATIME is used to open files in RDONLY mode avoding to update their access time.
+ */
+#ifndef O_NOATIME
+#define O_NOATIME 0
+#endif
+
 /**
  * Check if the specified file is hidden.
  */
diff --git a/scan.c b/scan.c
index 5693cc63..1a5a01ac 100644
--- a/scan.c
+++ b/scan.c
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ static void scan_dir(struct snapraid_scan* scan, struct snapraid_state* state, i
 		const char* name;
 		struct dirent* dd;
 
-		/* clear errno to detect errneous conditions */
+		/* clear errno to detect erroneous conditions */
 		errno = 0;
 		dd = readdir(d);
 		if (dd == 0 && errno != 0) {