diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/io/sstable/CacheWriter.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/io/sstable/CacheWriter.java
index d20f657336..a79f55a722 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/io/sstable/CacheWriter.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/io/sstable/CacheWriter.java
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public class CacheWriter<K, V> implements ICompactionInfo
         logger.debug("Saving {}", path);
         File tmpFile = File.createTempFile(path.getName(), null, path.getParentFile());
 
-        BufferedRandomAccessFile out = new BufferedRandomAccessFile(tmpFile, "w", BufferedRandomAccessFile.DEFAULT_BUFFER_SIZE, true);
+        BufferedRandomAccessFile out = new BufferedRandomAccessFile(tmpFile, "rw", BufferedRandomAccessFile.DEFAULT_BUFFER_SIZE, true);
         try
         {
             for (K key : keys)
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/io/util/BufferedRandomAccessFile.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/io/util/BufferedRandomAccessFile.java
index ac90aafff2..9f21d15ac5 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/io/util/BufferedRandomAccessFile.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/io/util/BufferedRandomAccessFile.java
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public class BufferedRandomAccessFile extends RandomAccessFile implements FileDa
     // or in directIO() method to the DEFAULT_DIRECT_BUFFER_SIZE
     private long maxBufferSize;
 
-    // constant, used for caching purpose, -1 if file is open in "w" mode
+    // constant, used for caching purpose, -1 if file is open in "rw" mode
     // otherwise this will hold cached file length
     private final long fileLength;