diff --git a/py/obj.c b/py/obj.c
index d013eb3d0..5e01198b6 100644
--- a/py/obj.c
+++ b/py/obj.c
@@ -577,18 +577,12 @@ MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_1(mp_identity_obj, mp_identity);
 
 bool mp_get_buffer(mp_obj_t obj, mp_buffer_info_t *bufinfo, mp_uint_t flags) {
     const mp_obj_type_t *type = mp_obj_get_type(obj);
-    if (!MP_OBJ_TYPE_HAS_SLOT(type, buffer)) {
-        return false;
+    if (MP_OBJ_TYPE_HAS_SLOT(type, buffer)
+        && MP_OBJ_TYPE_GET_SLOT(type, buffer)(obj, bufinfo, flags & MP_BUFFER_RW) == 0) {
+        return true;
     }
-    int ret = MP_OBJ_TYPE_GET_SLOT(type, buffer)(obj, bufinfo, flags);
-    if (ret != 0) {
-        return false;
-    }
-    return true;
-}
-
-void mp_get_buffer_raise(mp_obj_t obj, mp_buffer_info_t *bufinfo, mp_uint_t flags) {
-    if (!mp_get_buffer(obj, bufinfo, flags)) {
+    if (flags & MP_BUFFER_RAISE_IF_UNSUPPORTED) {
         mp_raise_TypeError(MP_ERROR_TEXT("object with buffer protocol required"));
     }
+    return false;
 }
diff --git a/py/obj.h b/py/obj.h
index 3c2176832..56ae62172 100644
--- a/py/obj.h
+++ b/py/obj.h
@@ -585,17 +585,25 @@ typedef struct _mp_getiter_iternext_custom_t {
 } mp_getiter_iternext_custom_t;
 
 // Buffer protocol
+
 typedef struct _mp_buffer_info_t {
     void *buf;      // can be NULL if len == 0
     size_t len;     // in bytes
     int typecode;   // as per binary.h
 } mp_buffer_info_t;
+
 #define MP_BUFFER_READ  (1)
 #define MP_BUFFER_WRITE (2)
 #define MP_BUFFER_RW (MP_BUFFER_READ | MP_BUFFER_WRITE)
+#define MP_BUFFER_RAISE_IF_UNSUPPORTED (4)
+
 typedef mp_int_t (*mp_buffer_fun_t)(mp_obj_t obj, mp_buffer_info_t *bufinfo, mp_uint_t flags);
+
 bool mp_get_buffer(mp_obj_t obj, mp_buffer_info_t *bufinfo, mp_uint_t flags);
-void mp_get_buffer_raise(mp_obj_t obj, mp_buffer_info_t *bufinfo, mp_uint_t flags);
+
+static inline void mp_get_buffer_raise(mp_obj_t obj, mp_buffer_info_t *bufinfo, mp_uint_t flags) {
+    mp_get_buffer(obj, bufinfo, flags | MP_BUFFER_RAISE_IF_UNSUPPORTED);
+}
 
 // This struct will be updated to become a variable sized struct. In order to
 // use this as a member, or allocate dynamically, use the mp_obj_empty_type_t