diff --git a/bochs/cpu/descriptor.h b/bochs/cpu/descriptor.h
index 80aeb28f5..a0e71d956 100755
--- a/bochs/cpu/descriptor.h
+++ b/bochs/cpu/descriptor.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-// $Id: descriptor.h,v 1.17 2006-08-31 18:18:15 sshwarts Exp $
+// $Id: descriptor.h,v 1.18 2007-09-26 19:09:10 sshwarts Exp $
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
 //  Copyright (C) 2001  MandrakeSoft S.A.
@@ -169,9 +169,12 @@ union {
 #define IS_CODE_SEGMENT(type)             (((type) >> 3) & 0x1)
 #define IS_CODE_SEGMENT_CONFORMING(type)  (((type) >> 2) & 0x1)
 #define IS_DATA_SEGMENT_EXPAND_DOWN(type) (((type) >> 2) & 0x1)
-#define IS_CODE_SEGMENT_READABLE(type)    (((type) >> 1) & 0x1)
-#define IS_DATA_SEGMENT_WRITEABLE(type)   (((type) >> 1) & 0x1)
-#define IS_SEGMENT_ACCESSED(type)         ( (type)       & 0x1)
+
+// readable/writeable bit is ignored when in 64-bit mode
+#define IS_CODE_SEGMENT_READABLE(type)    (Is64BitMode() || (((type) >> 1) & 0x1))
+#define IS_DATA_SEGMENT_WRITEABLE(type)   (Is64BitMode() || (((type) >> 1) & 0x1))
+
+#define IS_SEGMENT_ACCESSED(type)         ((type) & 0x1)
 
 #define BX_SEGMENT_CODE                   (0x8)
 #define BX_SEGMENT_DATA_EXPAND_DOWN       (0x4)
diff --git a/bochs/cpu/iret.cc b/bochs/cpu/iret.cc
index 175076c1c..7b852fd2c 100755
--- a/bochs/cpu/iret.cc
+++ b/bochs/cpu/iret.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-// $Id: iret.cc,v 1.19 2007-09-10 20:47:08 sshwarts Exp $
+// $Id: iret.cc,v 1.20 2007-09-26 19:09:10 sshwarts Exp $
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
 //  Copyright (C) 2001  MandrakeSoft S.A.
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ BX_CPU_C::iret_protected(bxInstruction_c *i)
          IS_CODE_SEGMENT(ss_descriptor.type) ||
         !IS_DATA_SEGMENT_WRITEABLE(ss_descriptor.type))
     {
-      BX_ERROR(("iret: SS AR byte not writable code segment"));
+      BX_ERROR(("iret: SS AR byte not writable or code segment"));
       exception(BX_GP_EXCEPTION, raw_ss_selector & 0xfffc, 0);
     }
 
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ BX_CPU_C::long_iret(bxInstruction_c *i)
           IS_CODE_SEGMENT(ss_descriptor.type) ||
          !IS_DATA_SEGMENT_WRITEABLE(ss_descriptor.type))
       {
-        BX_ERROR(("iret64: SS AR byte not writable code segment"));
+        BX_ERROR(("iret64: SS AR byte not writable or code segment: %d", ss_descriptor.type));
         exception(BX_GP_EXCEPTION, raw_ss_selector & 0xfffc, 0);
       }