diff --git a/atahpt.c b/atahpt.c
index 41a82cb..f410fe4 100644
--- a/atahpt.c
+++ b/atahpt.c
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@
 {
 	/* Flash access is disabled automatically by PCI restore. */
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -68,7 +67,8 @@
 {
 	uint32_t reg32;
 
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 
 	io_base_addr = pcidev_init(PCI_BASE_ADDRESS_4, ata_hpt);
 
diff --git a/drkaiser.c b/drkaiser.c
index a3844b8..259530a 100644
--- a/drkaiser.c
+++ b/drkaiser.c
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@
 	physunmap(drkaiser_bar, DRKAISER_MEMMAP_SIZE);
 	/* Flash write is disabled automatically by PCI restore. */
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 	return 0;
 };
 
@@ -68,7 +67,8 @@
 {
 	uint32_t addr;
 
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 
 	addr = pcidev_init(PCI_BASE_ADDRESS_2, drkaiser_pcidev);
 
diff --git a/gfxnvidia.c b/gfxnvidia.c
index ddf82e7..782d692 100644
--- a/gfxnvidia.c
+++ b/gfxnvidia.c
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@
 	 * by PCI restore.
 	 */
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -92,7 +91,8 @@
 {
 	uint32_t reg32;
 
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 
 	io_base_addr = pcidev_init(PCI_BASE_ADDRESS_0, gfx_nvidia);
 
diff --git a/hwaccess.c b/hwaccess.c
index e182167..c18a110 100644
--- a/hwaccess.c
+++ b/hwaccess.c
@@ -45,11 +45,27 @@
 int io_fd;
 #endif
 
-void get_io_perms(void)
+int release_io_perms(void *p)
+{
+#if defined(__DJGPP__) || defined(__LIBPAYLOAD__)
+#else
+#if defined (__sun) && (defined(__i386) || defined(__amd64))
+	sysi86(SI86V86, V86SC_IOPL, 0);
+#elif defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__FreeBSD_kernel__) || defined (__DragonFly__)
+	close(io_fd);
+#else 
+	iopl(0);
+#endif
+#endif
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/* Get I/O permissions with automatic permission release on shutdown. */
+int rget_io_perms(void)
 {
 #if defined(__DJGPP__) || defined(__LIBPAYLOAD__)
 	/* We have full permissions by default. */
-	return;
+	return 0;
 #else
 #if defined (__sun) && (defined(__i386) || defined(__amd64))
 	if (sysi86(SI86V86, V86SC_IOPL, PS_IOPL) != 0) {
@@ -65,15 +81,11 @@
 			   "and reboot, or reboot into \n");
 		msg_perr("single user mode.\n");
 #endif
-		exit(1);
+		return 1;
+	} else {
+		register_shutdown(release_io_perms, NULL);
 	}
-#endif
-}
-
-void release_io_perms(void)
-{
-#if defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__FreeBSD_kernel__) || defined(__DragonFly__)
-	close(io_fd);
+	return 0;
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -89,13 +101,9 @@
 }
 
 /* PCI port I/O is not yet implemented on PowerPC. */
-void get_io_perms(void)
+int rget_io_perms(void)
 {
-}
-
-/* PCI port I/O is not yet implemented on PowerPC. */
-void release_io_perms(void)
-{
+	return 0;
 }
 
 #elif defined (__mips) || defined (__mips__) || defined (_mips) || defined (mips)
@@ -108,13 +116,9 @@
 }
 
 /* PCI port I/O is not yet implemented on MIPS. */
-void get_io_perms(void)
+int rget_io_perms(void)
 {
-}
-
-/* PCI port I/O is not yet implemented on MIPS. */
-void release_io_perms(void)
-{
+	return 0;
 }
 
 #elif defined (__arm__)
@@ -123,12 +127,9 @@
 {
 }
 
-void get_io_perms(void)
+int rget_io_perms(void)
 {
-}
-
-void release_io_perms(void)
-{
+	return 0;
 }
 
 #else
diff --git a/internal.c b/internal.c
index c99ca1f..bf1ca8c 100644
--- a/internal.c
+++ b/internal.c
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@
 
 static int internal_shutdown(void *data)
 {
-	release_io_perms();
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -226,7 +225,8 @@
 	}
 	free(arg);
 
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 	if (register_shutdown(internal_shutdown, NULL))
 		return 1;
 
diff --git a/nic3com.c b/nic3com.c
index a137c64..f4fb6fe 100644
--- a/nic3com.c
+++ b/nic3com.c
@@ -82,13 +82,13 @@
 	}
 
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 	return 0;
 }
 
 int nic3com_init(void)
 {
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 
 	io_base_addr = pcidev_init(PCI_BASE_ADDRESS_0, nics_3com);
 
diff --git a/nicintel.c b/nicintel.c
index 813049c..1c6d409 100644
--- a/nicintel.c
+++ b/nicintel.c
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@
 	physunmap(nicintel_control_bar, NICINTEL_CONTROL_MEMMAP_SIZE);
 	physunmap(nicintel_bar, NICINTEL_MEMMAP_SIZE);
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -73,9 +72,10 @@
 	uintptr_t addr;
 
 	/* Needed only for PCI accesses on some platforms.
-	 * FIXME: Refactor that into get_mem_perms/get_io_perms/get_pci_perms?
+	 * FIXME: Refactor that into get_mem_perms/rget_io_perms/get_pci_perms?
 	 */
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 
 	/* No need to check for errors, pcidev_init() will not return in case
 	 * of errors.
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@
 	physunmap(nicintel_bar, NICINTEL_MEMMAP_SIZE);
 error_out:
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 	return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/nicintel_spi.c b/nicintel_spi.c
index 7a02cda..531576c 100644
--- a/nicintel_spi.c
+++ b/nicintel_spi.c
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@
 
 	physunmap(nicintel_spibar, 4096);
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -168,7 +167,8 @@
 {
 	uint32_t tmp;
 
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 
 	io_base_addr = pcidev_init(PCI_BASE_ADDRESS_0, nics_intel_spi);
 
diff --git a/nicnatsemi.c b/nicnatsemi.c
index 4646867..7cdd2fe 100644
--- a/nicnatsemi.c
+++ b/nicnatsemi.c
@@ -54,13 +54,13 @@
 static int nicnatsemi_shutdown(void *data)
 {
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 	return 0;
 }
 
 int nicnatsemi_init(void)
 {
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 
 	io_base_addr = pcidev_init(PCI_BASE_ADDRESS_0, nics_natsemi);
 
diff --git a/nicrealtek.c b/nicrealtek.c
index 61e07d8..afc3d0f 100644
--- a/nicrealtek.c
+++ b/nicrealtek.c
@@ -56,13 +56,13 @@
 {
 	/* FIXME: We forgot to disable software access again. */
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 	return 0;
 }
 
 int nicrealtek_init(void)
 {
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 
 	io_base_addr = pcidev_init(PCI_BASE_ADDRESS_0, nics_realtek);
 
diff --git a/ogp_spi.c b/ogp_spi.c
index 2966024..13091b4 100644
--- a/ogp_spi.c
+++ b/ogp_spi.c
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@
 {
 	physunmap(ogp_spibar, 4096);
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -129,7 +128,8 @@
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 
 	io_base_addr = pcidev_init(PCI_BASE_ADDRESS_0, ogp_spi);
 
diff --git a/programmer.h b/programmer.h
index 6f07dd0..f511c71 100644
--- a/programmer.h
+++ b/programmer.h
@@ -302,8 +302,7 @@
 struct pci_dev *pci_card_find(uint16_t vendor, uint16_t device,
 			      uint16_t card_vendor, uint16_t card_device);
 #endif
-void get_io_perms(void);
-void release_io_perms(void);
+int rget_io_perms(void);
 #if CONFIG_INTERNAL == 1
 extern int is_laptop;
 extern int laptop_ok;
diff --git a/rayer_spi.c b/rayer_spi.c
index 584a6a0..8e48e6e 100644
--- a/rayer_spi.c
+++ b/rayer_spi.c
@@ -168,7 +168,8 @@
 		rayer_miso_bit = 4;
 	}
 
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 
 	/* Get the initial value before writing to any line. */
 	lpt_outbyte = INB(lpt_iobase);
diff --git a/satamv.c b/satamv.c
index 70deb06..afcabaf 100644
--- a/satamv.c
+++ b/satamv.c
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@
 {
 	physunmap(mv_bar, 0x20000);
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -86,7 +85,8 @@
 	uintptr_t addr;
 	uint32_t tmp;
 
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 
 	/* BAR0 has all internal registers memory mapped. */
 	/* No need to check for errors, pcidev_init() will not return in case
@@ -162,7 +162,6 @@
 
 error_out:
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 	return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/satasii.c b/satasii.c
index aae76f3..0bea942 100644
--- a/satasii.c
+++ b/satasii.c
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@
 {
 	physunmap(sii_bar, SATASII_MEMMAP_SIZE);
 	pci_cleanup(pacc);
-	release_io_perms();
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -71,7 +70,8 @@
 	uint32_t addr;
 	uint16_t reg_offset;
 
-	get_io_perms();
+	if (rget_io_perms())
+		return 1;
 
 	pcidev_init(PCI_BASE_ADDRESS_0, satas_sii);