diff --git a/pygmt/clib/session.py b/pygmt/clib/session.py
index 39999268d2c..18f0c78887b 100644
--- a/pygmt/clib/session.py
+++ b/pygmt/clib/session.py
@@ -922,6 +922,9 @@ def open_virtual_file(self, family, geometry, direction, data):
         direction : str
             Either ``'GMT_IN'`` or ``'GMT_OUT'`` to indicate if passing data to
             GMT or getting it out of GMT, respectively.
+            By default, GMT can modify the data you pass in. Add modifier
+            ``'GMT_IS_REFERENCE'`` to tell GMT the data are read-only, or
+            ``'GMT_IS_DUPLICATE'' to tell GMT to duplicate the data.
         data : int
             The ctypes void pointer to your GMT data structure.
 
@@ -950,7 +953,7 @@ def open_virtual_file(self, family, geometry, direction, data):
         ...     lib.put_vector(dataset, column=0, vector=x)
         ...     lib.put_vector(dataset, column=1, vector=y)
         ...     # Add the dataset to a virtual file
-        ...     vfargs = (family, geometry, 'GMT_IN', dataset)
+        ...     vfargs = (family, geometry, 'GMT_IN|GMT_IS_REFERENCE', dataset)
         ...     with lib.open_virtual_file(*vfargs) as vfile:
         ...         # Send the output to a temp file so that we can read it
         ...         with GMTTempFile() as ofile:
@@ -1086,7 +1089,9 @@ def virtualfile_from_vectors(self, *vectors):
         for col, array in enumerate(arrays):
             self.put_vector(dataset, column=col, vector=array)
 
-        with self.open_virtual_file(family, geometry, "GMT_IN", dataset) as vfile:
+        with self.open_virtual_file(
+            family, geometry, "GMT_IN|GMT_IS_REFERENCE", dataset
+        ) as vfile:
             yield vfile
 
     @contextmanager
@@ -1167,7 +1172,9 @@ def virtualfile_from_matrix(self, matrix):
 
         self.put_matrix(dataset, matrix)
 
-        with self.open_virtual_file(family, geometry, "GMT_IN", dataset) as vfile:
+        with self.open_virtual_file(
+            family, geometry, "GMT_IN|GMT_IS_REFERENCE", dataset
+        ) as vfile:
             yield vfile
 
     @contextmanager
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_plot_lines_with_arrows.png b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_plot_lines_with_arrows.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eddfd08559b
Binary files /dev/null and b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_plot_lines_with_arrows.png differ
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_clib.py b/pygmt/tests/test_clib.py
index bd76643c712..89cb7770424 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_clib.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_clib.py
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ def test_virtual_file():
             data = np.arange(shape[0] * shape[1], dtype=dtype).reshape(shape)
             lib.put_matrix(dataset, matrix=data)
             # Add the dataset to a virtual file and pass it along to gmt info
-            vfargs = (family, geometry, "GMT_IN", dataset)
+            vfargs = (family, geometry, "GMT_IN|GMT_IS_REFERENCE", dataset)
             with lib.open_virtual_file(*vfargs) as vfile:
                 with GMTTempFile() as outfile:
                     lib.call_module("info", "{} ->{}".format(vfile, outfile.name))
@@ -491,7 +491,12 @@ def test_virtual_file_fails():
     Check that opening and closing virtual files raises an exception for
     non-zero return codes
     """
-    vfargs = ("GMT_IS_DATASET|GMT_VIA_MATRIX", "GMT_IS_POINT", "GMT_IN", None)
+    vfargs = (
+        "GMT_IS_DATASET|GMT_VIA_MATRIX",
+        "GMT_IS_POINT",
+        "GMT_IN|GMT_IS_REFERENCE",
+        None,
+    )
 
     # Mock Open_VirtualFile to test the status check when entering the context.
     # If the exception is raised, the code won't get to the closing of the
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_plot.py b/pygmt/tests/test_plot.py
index e1f842b4642..623593cf5fe 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_plot.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_plot.py
@@ -258,6 +258,23 @@ def test_plot_vectors():
     return fig
 
 
+@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
+def test_plot_lines_with_arrows():
+    """Plot lines with arrows.
+
+    The test is slightly different from test_plot_vectors().
+    Here the vectors are plotted as lines, with arrows at the end.
+
+    The test also check if the API crashes.
+    See https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/406.
+    """
+    fig = Figure()
+    fig.basemap(region=[-2, 2, -2, 2], frame=True)
+    fig.plot(x=[-1.0, -1.0], y=[-1.0, 1.0], pen="1p,black+ve0.2c")
+    fig.plot(x=[1.0, 1.0], y=[-1.0, 1.0], pen="1p,black+ve0.2c")
+    return fig
+
+
 @pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
 def test_plot_scalar_xy():
     "Plot symbols given scalar x, y coordinates"