diff --git a/src/llama-model-loader.cpp b/src/llama-model-loader.cpp
index 1355eea95..2db2115a0 100644
--- a/src/llama-model-loader.cpp
+++ b/src/llama-model-loader.cpp
@@ -918,8 +918,7 @@ void llama_model_loader::load_data_for(struct ggml_tensor * cur) const {
         GGML_ASSERT(cur->data != nullptr);
         GGML_ASSERT(w.idx < files.size());
         const auto & file = files.at(w.idx);
-        file->seek(w.offs, SEEK_SET);
-        file->read_raw(cur->data, ggml_nbytes(cur));
+        file->read_raw_at(cur->data, ggml_nbytes(cur), w.offs);
     }
 
     if (check_tensors && !ggml_validate_row_data(cur->type, cur->data, ggml_nbytes(cur))) {

diff --git a/src/llama-model-loader.cpp b/src/llama-model-loader.cpp
index 2db2115a0..ae0c698be 100644
--- a/src/llama-model-loader.cpp
+++ b/src/llama-model-loader.cpp
@@ -508,8 +508,11 @@ llama_model_loader::llama_model_loader(
     files.emplace_back(new llama_file(fname.c_str(), "rb", use_direct_io));
     contexts.emplace_back(ctx);
 
-    // Disable mmap in case Direct I/O is enabled and available
-    if (use_direct_io && files.at(0)->has_direct_io()) {
+    // check if direct io is enabled and supported
+    use_direct_io = use_direct_io && files.back()->has_direct_io();
+
+    if (use_direct_io && use_mmap) {
+        LLAMA_LOG_WARN("%s: direct I/O is enabled, disabling mmap\n", __func__);
         use_mmap = false;
     }
 
@@ -581,6 +584,10 @@ llama_model_loader::llama_model_loader(
             files.emplace_back(new llama_file(fname_split, "rb", use_direct_io));
             contexts.emplace_back(ctx);
 
+            if (use_direct_io && !files.back()->has_direct_io()) {
+                throw std::runtime_error(format("unexpected: direct I/O is not supported for split file %s", fname_split));
+            }
+
             // Save tensors data offset info of the shard.
             for (ggml_tensor * cur = ggml_get_first_tensor(ctx); cur; cur = ggml_get_next_tensor(ctx, cur)) {
                 std::string tensor_name = std::string(cur->name);
@@ -722,6 +729,7 @@ llama_model_loader::llama_model_loader(
     }
 
     this->use_mmap = use_mmap;
+    this->use_direct_io = use_direct_io;
     this->check_tensors = check_tensors;
     this->no_alloc = no_alloc;
 }
diff --git a/src/llama-model-loader.h b/src/llama-model-loader.h
index de06b5283..6f15115ce 100644
--- a/src/llama-model-loader.h
+++ b/src/llama-model-loader.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ struct llama_model_loader {
     size_t   n_bytes    = 0;
 
     bool use_mmap = false;
+    bool use_direct_io = false;
     bool check_tensors;
     bool no_alloc;
 
diff --git a/src/llama-model.cpp b/src/llama-model.cpp
index cf0c39475..502859d2e 100644
--- a/src/llama-model.cpp
+++ b/src/llama-model.cpp
@@ -2337,7 +2337,8 @@ bool llama_model::load_tensors(llama_model_loader & ml) {
 
     const bool use_mmap_buffer = true;
 
-    LLAMA_LOG_INFO("%s: loading model tensors, this can take a while... (mmap = %s)\n", __func__, ml.use_mmap ? "true" : "false");
+    LLAMA_LOG_INFO("%s: loading model tensors, this can take a while... (mmap = %s, direct_io = %s)\n",
+            __func__, ml.use_mmap ? "true" : "false", ml.use_direct_io ? "true" : "false");
 
     // build a list of buffer types for the CPU and GPU devices
     pimpl->cpu_buft_list = make_cpu_buft_list(devices, params.use_extra_bufts, params.no_host);