diff --git a/src/aiori-MPIIO.c b/src/aiori-MPIIO.c
index ae7de20..2fec74f 100755
--- a/src/aiori-MPIIO.c
+++ b/src/aiori-MPIIO.c
@@ -41,23 +41,49 @@ static void MPIIO_Close(void *, IOR_param_t *);
 static void MPIIO_Delete(char *, IOR_param_t *);
 static void MPIIO_SetVersion(IOR_param_t *);
 static void MPIIO_Fsync(void *, IOR_param_t *);
+static int MPIIO_Access(const char *, int, IOR_param_t *);
 
 /************************** D E C L A R A T I O N S ***************************/
 
 ior_aiori_t mpiio_aiori = {
-        "MPIIO",
-        MPIIO_Create,
-        MPIIO_Open,
-        MPIIO_Xfer,
-        MPIIO_Close,
-        MPIIO_Delete,
-        MPIIO_SetVersion,
-        MPIIO_Fsync,
-        MPIIO_GetFileSize
+        .name = "MPIIO",
+        .create = MPIIO_Create,
+        .open = MPIIO_Open,
+        .xfer = MPIIO_Xfer,
+        .close = MPIIO_Close,
+        .delete = MPIIO_Delete,
+        .set_version = MPIIO_SetVersion,
+        .fsync = MPIIO_Fsync,
+        .get_file_size = MPIIO_GetFileSize,
+        .access = MPIIO_Access,
 };
 
 /***************************** F U N C T I O N S ******************************/
 
+/*
+ * Try to access a file through the MPIIO interface.
+ */
+static int MPIIO_Access(const char *path, int mode, IOR_param_t *param)
+{
+    MPI_File fd;
+    int mpi_mode = MPI_MODE_UNIQUE_OPEN;
+
+    if ((mode & W_OK) && (mode & R_OK))
+        mpi_mode |= MPI_MODE_RDWR;
+    else if (mode & W_OK)
+        mpi_mode |= MPI_MODE_WRONLY;
+    else
+        mpi_mode |= MPI_MODE_RDONLY;
+
+    int ret = MPI_File_open(MPI_COMM_SELF, path, mpi_mode,
+                            MPI_INFO_NULL, &fd);
+
+    if (!ret)
+        MPI_File_close(&fd);
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
 /*
  * Create and open a file through the MPIIO interface.
  */