diff --git a/src/LyXFunc.cpp b/src/LyXFunc.cpp
index b738b8366f..9f0ad5c6d5 100644
--- a/src/LyXFunc.cpp
+++ b/src/LyXFunc.cpp
@@ -2055,9 +2055,8 @@ void LyXFunc::open(string const & fname)
 		filename = fname;
 
 	// get absolute path of file and add ".lyx" to the filename if
-	// necessary. we allow_unreadable because the file may not exist.
-	FileName const fullname = 
-			fileSearch(string(), filename, "lyx", support::allow_unreadable);
+	// necessary
+	FileName const fullname = fileSearch(string(), filename, "lyx");
 	if (!fullname.empty())
 		filename = fullname.absFilename();