diff --git a/www/js/app.js b/www/js/app.js
index 4c92f007..f19c621f 100644
--- a/www/js/app.js
+++ b/www/js/app.js
@@ -824,30 +824,14 @@ define(['jquery', 'zimArchiveLoader', 'uiUtil', 'util', 'cache', 'images', 'cook
                 cache.idxDB('pickedFileHandle', function(val) {
                     if (val) {
                         var handle = val;
-                        // Check if we have persmission to open
-                        handle.requestPermission({mode: 'read'}).then(function(readPermission) {
-                            if (readPermission === 'granted') {
-                                processNativeFileHandle(handle);
-                            } else {
-                                  pickFileNativeFS();                              
-                            }
-                        }).catch(function(err) {
-                            console.error('Unable to load previously picked file', err);
-                            pickFileNativeFS();
+                        cache.verifyPermission(handle, false).then(function(status) {
+                            if (status) processNativeFileHandle(handle);
                         });
-                        // handle.queryPermission({mode: 'read'}).then(function(permission) {
-                        //     if (permission === 'granted') {
-                        //         processNativeFileHandle(handle);
-                        //     } else if (permission === 'prompt') {
-                        //         // Do nothing
-                        //     }
-                        // }).catch(function(err) {
-                        //     console.error('Unable to load previously picked file', err);
-                        // });
                     }
                 });
             }
         });
+    
         document.getElementById('btnAbout').addEventListener('click', function () {
             var btnAboutElement = document.getElementById('btnAbout');
             if (/glyphicon-print/.test(btnAboutElement.innerHTML)) {
diff --git a/www/js/lib/cache.js b/www/js/lib/cache.js
index 5243d7f4..30efdcd2 100644
--- a/www/js/lib/cache.js
+++ b/www/js/lib/cache.js
@@ -625,6 +625,27 @@ define(['q', 'uiUtil'], function(Q, uiUtil) {
         return string;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Provide 
+     * 
+     * @param {Object} fileHandle The file handle that we wish to verify with the Native Filesystem API 
+     * @param {Boolean} withWrite Indicates read only or read/write persmissions
+     * @returns {Promise<Boolean>} A Promise for a Boolean value indicating whether permission has been granted or not
+     */    
+    function verifyPermission(fileHandle, withWrite) {
+        var opts = withWrite ? { mode: 'readwrite' } : {};
+        return fileHandle.queryPermission(opts).then(function(permission) {
+            if (permission === "granted") return true;
+            return fileHandle.requestPermission(opts).then(function(permission) {
+                if (permission === 'granted') return true;
+                console.error('Permission for ' + fileHandle.name + ' was not granted: ' + permission);
+                return false;
+            }).catch(function(error) {
+                console.error('There was an error reading previously picked file ' + fileHandle.name, error);
+            });
+        }); 
+    };
+
     /** 
      * Wraps a semaphor in a Promise. A function can signal that it is done by setting a sempahor to true, 
      * if it has first set it to false at the outset of the procedure. Ensure no other functions use the same
@@ -676,6 +697,7 @@ define(['q', 'uiUtil'], function(Q, uiUtil) {
         clear: clear,
         wait: wait,
         getItemFromCacheOrZIM: getItemFromCacheOrZIM,
-        replaceAssetRefsWithUri: replaceAssetRefsWithUri
+        replaceAssetRefsWithUri: replaceAssetRefsWithUri,
+        verifyPermission: verifyPermission
     };
 });
\ No newline at end of file