diff --git a/libretro-common/file/retro_file.c b/libretro-common/file/retro_file.c
index b0b03174ca..a1b98fac6f 100644
--- a/libretro-common/file/retro_file.c
+++ b/libretro-common/file/retro_file.c
@@ -79,9 +79,11 @@ struct RFILE
    SceUID fd;
 #elif defined(__CELLOS_LV2__)
    int fd;
-#elif defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
-   FILE *fd;
 #else
+   unsigned hints;
+#if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
+   FILE *fp;
+#endif
    int fd;
 #endif
 };
@@ -92,9 +94,11 @@ int retro_get_fd(RFILE *stream)
       return -1;
 #if defined(VITA) || defined(PSP) || defined(__CELLOS_LV2__)
    return stream->fd;
-#elif defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
-   return fileno(stream->fd);
 #else
+#if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
+   if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
+      return fileno(stream->fp);
+#endif
    return stream->fd;
 #endif
 }
@@ -113,6 +117,8 @@ RFILE *retro_fopen(const char *path, unsigned mode, ssize_t len)
    (void)mode_int;
    (void)flags;
 
+   stream->hints = mode;
+
    switch (mode)
    {
       case RFILE_MODE_READ:
@@ -122,10 +128,13 @@ RFILE *retro_fopen(const char *path, unsigned mode, ssize_t len)
 #elif defined(__CELLOS_LV2__)
          mode_int = 0777;
          flags    = CELL_FS_O_RDONLY;
-#elif defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
-         mode_str = "rb";
 #else
-         flags    = O_RDONLY;
+#if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
+         if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
+            mode_str = "rb";
+         else
+#endif
+            flags    = O_RDONLY;
 #endif
          break;
       case RFILE_MODE_WRITE:
@@ -135,10 +144,13 @@ RFILE *retro_fopen(const char *path, unsigned mode, ssize_t len)
 #elif defined(__CELLOS_LV2__)
          mode_int = 0777;
          flags    = CELL_FS_O_CREAT | CELL_FS_O_WRONLY | CELL_FS_O_TRUNC;
-#elif defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
-         mode_str = "wb";
 #else
-         flags    = O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC | S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR;
+#if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
+         if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
+            mode_str = "wb";
+         else
+#endif
+            flags    = O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC | S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR;
 #endif
          break;
       case RFILE_MODE_READ_WRITE:
@@ -148,13 +160,18 @@ RFILE *retro_fopen(const char *path, unsigned mode, ssize_t len)
 #elif defined(__CELLOS_LV2__)
          mode_int = 0777;
          flags    = CELL_FS_O_RDWR;
-#elif defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
-         mode_str = "w+";
 #else
-         flags    = O_RDWR;
-#ifdef _WIN32
-         flags   |= O_BINARY;
+#if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
+         if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
+            mode_str = "w+";
+         else
 #endif
+         {
+            flags    = O_RDWR;
+#ifdef _WIN32
+            flags   |= O_BINARY;
+#endif
+         }
 #endif
          break;
    }
@@ -163,16 +180,24 @@ RFILE *retro_fopen(const char *path, unsigned mode, ssize_t len)
    stream->fd = sceIoOpen(path, flags, mode_int);
 #elif defined(__CELLOS_LV2__)
    cellFsOpen(path, flags, &stream->fd, NULL, 0);
-#elif defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
-   stream->fd = fopen(path, mode_str);
 #else
-   stream->fd = open(path, flags);
+#if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
+   if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
+   {
+      stream->fp = fopen(path, mode_str);
+      if (!stream->fp)
+         goto error;
+   }
+   else
+#endif
+   {
+      stream->fd = open(path, flags);
+      if (stream->fd == -1)
+         goto error;
+   }
 #endif
 
-#if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
-   if (!stream->fd)
-      goto error;
-#else
+#if defined(VITA) || defined(PSP) || defined(__CELLOS_LV2__)
    if (stream->fd == -1)
       goto error;
 #endif
@@ -202,13 +227,16 @@ ssize_t retro_fseek(RFILE *stream, ssize_t offset, int whence)
    if (cellFsLseek(stream->fd, offset, whence, &pos) != CELL_FS_SUCCEEDED)
       return -1;
    return 0;
-#elif defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
-   return fseek(stream->fd, (long)offset, whence);
 #else
-   ret = lseek(stream->fd, offset, whence);
-   if (ret == -1)
-      return -1;
-   return 0;
+#if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
+   if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
+      return fseek(stream->fp, (long)offset, whence);
+   else
+#endif
+   {
+      ret = lseek(stream->fd, offset, whence);
+      return ret == -1 ? -1 : 0;
+   }
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -223,10 +251,13 @@ ssize_t retro_ftell(RFILE *stream)
    if (cellFsLseek(stream->fd, 0, CELL_FS_SEEK_CUR, &pos) != CELL_FS_SUCCEEDED)
       return -1;
    return 0;
-#elif defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
-   return ftell(stream->fd);
-#else 
-   return lseek(stream->fd, 0, SEEK_CUR);
+#else
+#if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
+   if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
+      return ftell(stream->fp);
+   else
+#endif
+      return lseek(stream->fd, 0, SEEK_CUR);
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -246,10 +277,13 @@ ssize_t retro_fread(RFILE *stream, void *s, size_t len)
    if (cellFsRead(stream->fd, s, len, &bytes_written) != CELL_FS_SUCCEEDED)
       return -1;
    return bytes_written;
-#elif defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
-   return fread(s, 1, len, stream->fd);
 #else
-   return read(stream->fd, s, len);
+#if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
+   if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
+      return fread(s, 1, len, stream->fp);
+   else
+#endif
+      return read(stream->fd, s, len);
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -264,10 +298,13 @@ ssize_t retro_fwrite(RFILE *stream, const void *s, size_t len)
    if (cellFsWrite(stream->fd, s, len, &bytes_written) != CELL_FS_SUCCEEDED)
       return -1;
    return bytes_written;
-#elif defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
-   return fwrite(s, 1, len, stream->fd);
 #else
-   return write(stream->fd, s, len);
+#if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
+   if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
+      return fwrite(s, 1, len, stream->fp);
+   else
+#endif
+      return write(stream->fd, s, len);
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -282,12 +319,17 @@ int retro_fclose(RFILE *stream)
 #elif defined(__CELLOS_LV2__)
    if (stream->fd > 0)
       cellFsClose(stream->fd);
-#elif defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
-   if (stream->fd)
-      fclose(stream->fd);
 #else
-   if (stream->fd > 0)
-      close(stream->fd);
+#if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
+   if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
+   {
+      if (stream->fp)
+         fclose(stream->fp);
+   }
+   else
+#endif
+      if (stream->fd > 0)
+         close(stream->fd);
 #endif
    free(stream);
 
diff --git a/libretro-common/include/retro_file.h b/libretro-common/include/retro_file.h
index 25aa95453f..3ce0ae99bd 100644
--- a/libretro-common/include/retro_file.h
+++ b/libretro-common/include/retro_file.h
@@ -40,7 +40,11 @@ enum
 {
    RFILE_MODE_READ = 0,
    RFILE_MODE_WRITE,
-   RFILE_MODE_READ_WRITE
+   RFILE_MODE_READ_WRITE,
+
+   /* There is no garantee these requests will be attended. */
+   RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED = 1<<8,
+   RFILE_HINT_MMAP       = 1<<7
 };
 
 RFILE *retro_fopen(const char *path, unsigned mode, ssize_t len);
diff --git a/libretro-db/libretrodb.c b/libretro-db/libretrodb.c
index 3379fcd830..3ca1d32f10 100644
--- a/libretro-db/libretrodb.c
+++ b/libretro-db/libretrodb.c
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ void libretrodb_cursor_close(libretrodb_cursor_t *cursor)
 int libretrodb_cursor_open(libretrodb_t *db, libretrodb_cursor_t *cursor,
       libretrodb_query_t *q)
 {
-   cursor->fd = retro_fopen(db->path, RFILE_MODE_READ, -1);
+   cursor->fd = retro_fopen(db->path, RFILE_MODE_READ | RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED, -1);
 
    if (!cursor->fd)
       return -errno;