diff --git a/tools/hv/hv_kvp_daemon.c b/tools/hv/hv_kvp_daemon.c
index 384051745c5eeefe8dce333fa2c47f02b0903d3a..c800ea4c8bf92ee4e33158b636f14c2af509cb60 100644
--- a/tools/hv/hv_kvp_daemon.c
+++ b/tools/hv/hv_kvp_daemon.c
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ static void kvp_update_file(int pool)
 	 */
 	kvp_acquire_lock(pool);
 
-	filep = fopen(kvp_file_info[pool].fname, "w");
+	filep = fopen(kvp_file_info[pool].fname, "we");
 	if (!filep) {
 		kvp_release_lock(pool);
 		syslog(LOG_ERR, "Failed to open file, pool: %d", pool);
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ static void kvp_update_mem_state(int pool)
 
 	kvp_acquire_lock(pool);
 
-	filep = fopen(kvp_file_info[pool].fname, "r");
+	filep = fopen(kvp_file_info[pool].fname, "re");
 	if (!filep) {
 		kvp_release_lock(pool);
 		syslog(LOG_ERR, "Failed to open file, pool: %d", pool);
@@ -246,13 +246,13 @@ static int kvp_file_init(void)
 		records_read = 0;
 		num_blocks = 1;
 		sprintf(fname, "%s/.kvp_pool_%d", KVP_CONFIG_LOC, i);
-		fd = open(fname, O_RDWR | O_CREAT, 0644 /* rw-r--r-- */);
+		fd = open(fname, O_RDWR | O_CREAT | O_CLOEXEC, 0644 /* rw-r--r-- */);
 
 		if (fd == -1)
 			return 1;
 
 
-		filep = fopen(fname, "r");
+		filep = fopen(fname, "re");
 		if (!filep)
 			return 1;