diff --git a/hal/src/fsfw_hal/linux/uart/UartComIF.cpp b/hal/src/fsfw_hal/linux/uart/UartComIF.cpp
index f52b6b1e4..29a79205b 100644
--- a/hal/src/fsfw_hal/linux/uart/UartComIF.cpp
+++ b/hal/src/fsfw_hal/linux/uart/UartComIF.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,13 @@ int UartComIF::configureUartPort(UartCookie* uartCookie) {
     struct termios options = {};
 
     std::string deviceFile = uartCookie->getDeviceFile();
-    int fd = open(deviceFile.c_str(), O_RDWR);
+    int flags = O_RDWR;
+    if(uartCookie->getUartMode() == UartModes::CANONICAL) {
+        // In non-canonical mode, don't specify O_NONBLOCK because these properties will be
+        // controlled by the VTIME and VMIN parameters and O_NONBLOCK would override this
+        flags |= O_NONBLOCK;
+    }
+    int fd = open(deviceFile.c_str(), flags);
 
     if (fd < 0) {
         sif::warning << "UartComIF::configureUartPort: Failed to open uart " << deviceFile <<