diff --git a/src/tools/opensc-tool.c b/src/tools/opensc-tool.c
index 81b9af0f..4b309e14 100644
--- a/src/tools/opensc-tool.c
+++ b/src/tools/opensc-tool.c
@@ -712,6 +712,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	const char *opt_conf_entry = NULL;
 	const char *opt_reset_type = NULL;
 	char **p;
+	struct sc_reader *reader = NULL;
 	sc_context_param_t ctx_param;
 
 	while (1) {
@@ -846,6 +847,24 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			goto end;
 		action_count--;
 	}
+
+	err = util_connect_reader(ctx, &reader, opt_reader, opt_wait, verbose);
+	if (err) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to connect to reader: %s\n", sc_strerror(err));
+		err = 1;
+		goto end;
+	}
+	if (do_print_atr) {
+		if (verbose) {
+			printf("Card ATR:\n");
+			util_hex_dump_asc(stdout, reader->atr.value, reader->atr.len, -1);
+		} else {
+			char tmp[SC_MAX_ATR_SIZE*3];
+			sc_bin_to_hex(reader->atr.value, reader->atr.len, tmp, sizeof(tmp) - 1, ':');
+			fprintf(stdout,"%s\n",tmp);
+		}
+		action_count--;
+	}
 	if (action_count <= 0)
 		goto end;
 
@@ -858,21 +877,19 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		}
 	}
 
-	err = util_connect_card_ex(ctx, &card, opt_reader, opt_wait, 0, verbose);
-	if (err)
-		goto end;
+	if (verbose)
+		printf("Connecting to card in reader %s...\n", reader->name);
 
-	if (do_print_atr) {
-		if (verbose) {
-			printf("Card ATR:\n");
-			util_hex_dump_asc(stdout, card->atr.value, card->atr.len, -1);
-		} else {
-			char tmp[SC_MAX_ATR_SIZE*3];
-			sc_bin_to_hex(card->atr.value, card->atr.len, tmp, sizeof(tmp) - 1, ':');
-			fprintf(stdout,"%s\n",tmp);
-		}
-		action_count--;
+	err = sc_connect_card(reader, &card);
+	if (err < 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to connect to card: %s\n", sc_strerror(err));
+		err = 1;
+		goto end;
 	}
+
+	if (verbose)
+                printf("Using card driver %s.\n", card->driver->name);
+
 	if (do_print_serial) {
 		if (verbose)
 			printf("Card serial number:");
diff --git a/src/tools/util.c b/src/tools/util.c
index 5b8492e6..f0893177 100644
--- a/src/tools/util.c
+++ b/src/tools/util.c
@@ -48,12 +48,10 @@ is_string_valid_atr(const char *atr_str)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-int
-util_connect_card_ex(sc_context_t *ctx, sc_card_t **cardp,
-		 const char *reader_id, int do_wait, int do_lock, int verbose)
+int util_connect_reader (sc_context_t *ctx, sc_reader_t **reader,
+	const char *reader_id, int do_wait, int verbose)
 {
-	struct sc_reader *reader = NULL, *found = NULL;
-	struct sc_card *card = NULL;
+	struct sc_reader *found = NULL;
 	int r;
 
 	setbuf(stderr, NULL);
@@ -88,7 +86,7 @@ util_connect_card_ex(sc_context_t *ctx, sc_card_t **cardp,
 			fprintf(stderr, "Error while waiting for a card: %s\n", sc_strerror(r));
 			return 3;
 		}
-		reader = found;
+		*reader = found;
 	}
 	else if (sc_ctx_get_reader_count(ctx) == 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "No smart card readers found.\n");
@@ -99,14 +97,14 @@ util_connect_card_ex(sc_context_t *ctx, sc_card_t **cardp,
 			unsigned int i;
 			/* Automatically try to skip to a reader with a card if reader not specified */
 			for (i = 0; i < sc_ctx_get_reader_count(ctx); i++) {
-				reader = sc_ctx_get_reader(ctx, i);
-				if (sc_detect_card_presence(reader) & SC_READER_CARD_PRESENT) {
-					fprintf(stderr, "Using reader with a card: %s\n", reader->name);
+				*reader = sc_ctx_get_reader(ctx, i);
+				if (sc_detect_card_presence(*reader) & SC_READER_CARD_PRESENT) {
+					fprintf(stderr, "Using reader with a card: %s\n", (*reader)->name);
 					goto autofound;
 				}
 			}
 			/* If no reader had a card, default to the first reader */
-			reader = sc_ctx_get_reader(ctx, 0);
+			*reader = sc_ctx_get_reader(ctx, 0);
 		}
 		else {
 			/* If the reader identifier looks like an ATR, try to find the reader with that card */
@@ -128,7 +126,7 @@ util_connect_card_ex(sc_context_t *ctx, sc_card_t **cardp,
 						continue;
 
 					fprintf(stderr, "Matched ATR in reader: %s\n", rdr->name);
-					reader = rdr;
+					*reader = rdr;
 					goto autofound;
 				}
 			}
@@ -139,24 +137,36 @@ util_connect_card_ex(sc_context_t *ctx, sc_card_t **cardp,
 				errno = 0;
 				num = strtol(reader_id, &endptr, 0);
 				if (!errno && endptr && *endptr == '\0')
-					reader = sc_ctx_get_reader(ctx, num);
+					*reader = sc_ctx_get_reader(ctx, num);
 				else
-					reader = sc_ctx_get_reader_by_name(ctx, reader_id);
+					*reader = sc_ctx_get_reader_by_name(ctx, reader_id);
 			}
 		}
 autofound:
-		if (!reader) {
+		if (!(*reader)) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "Reader \"%s\" not found (%d reader(s) detected)\n",
 					reader_id, sc_ctx_get_reader_count(ctx));
 			return 1;
 		}
 
-		if (sc_detect_card_presence(reader) <= 0) {
+		if (sc_detect_card_presence(*reader) <= 0) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "Card not present.\n");
 			return 3;
 		}
 	}
+	return 0;
+}
+int
+util_connect_card_ex(sc_context_t *ctx, sc_card_t **cardp,
+		 const char *reader_id, int do_wait, int do_lock, int verbose)
+{
+	struct sc_reader *reader = NULL;
+	struct sc_card *card = NULL;
+	int r;
 
+	r = util_connect_reader(ctx, &reader, reader_id, do_wait, verbose);
+	if(r)
+		return r;
 	if (verbose)
 		printf("Connecting to card in reader %s...\n", reader->name);
 	r = sc_connect_card(reader, &card);
diff --git a/src/tools/util.h b/src/tools/util.h
index 26b60c29..21c8293e 100644
--- a/src/tools/util.h
+++ b/src/tools/util.h
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ const char * util_acl_to_str(const struct sc_acl_entry *e);
 void util_warn(const char *fmt, ...);
 void util_error(const char *fmt, ...);
 NORETURN void util_fatal(const char *fmt, ...);
+
+int util_connect_reader (sc_context_t *ctx, sc_reader_t **reader, const char *reader_id, int do_wait, int verbose);
 /* All singing all dancing card connect routine */
 int util_connect_card_ex(struct sc_context *, struct sc_card **, const char *reader_id, int do_wait, int do_lock, int verbose);
 int util_connect_card(struct sc_context *, struct sc_card **, const char *reader_id, int do_wait, int verbose);