diff --git a/gix-worktree-state/src/checkout/entry.rs b/gix-worktree-state/src/checkout/entry.rs
index bf37fd9aad2..7e84b93a74c 100644
--- a/gix-worktree-state/src/checkout/entry.rs
+++ b/gix-worktree-state/src/checkout/entry.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::{
-    fs::OpenOptions,
+    borrow::Cow,
+    fs::{OpenOptions, Permissions},
     io::Write,
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
 };
@@ -286,10 +286,10 @@ pub(crate) fn finalize_entry(
     // For possibly existing, overwritten files, we must change the file mode explicitly.
     #[cfg(unix)]
     if let Some(path) = set_executable_after_creation {
-        use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
-        let mut perm = std::fs::symlink_metadata(path)?.permissions();
-        perm.set_mode(0o777);
-        std::fs::set_permissions(path, perm)?;
+        let old_perm = std::fs::symlink_metadata(path)?.permissions();
+        if let Some(new_perm) = set_mode_executable(old_perm) {
+            std::fs::set_permissions(path, new_perm)?;
+        }
     }
     // NOTE: we don't call `file.sync_all()` here knowing that some filesystems don't handle this well.
     //       revisit this once there is a bug to fix.
@@ -297,3 +297,103 @@ pub(crate) fn finalize_entry(
     file.close()?;
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[cfg(unix)]
+fn set_mode_executable(mut perm: Permissions) -> Option<Permissions> {
+    use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
+    let mut mode = perm.mode();
+    if mode & 0o170000 != 0o100000 {
+        return None; // Stop if we don't have a regular file anymore.
+    }
+    mode &= 0o777; // Clear non-rwx bits (setuid, setgid, sticky).
+    mode |= (mode & 0o444) >> 2; // Let readers also execute.
+    perm.set_mode(mode);
+    Some(perm)
+}
+
+#[cfg(all(test, unix))]
+mod tests {
+    fn pretty(maybe_mode: Option<u32>) -> String {
+        match maybe_mode {
+            Some(mode) => format!("Some({mode:04o})"),
+            None => "None".into(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn set_mode_executable() {
+        let cases = [
+            // Common cases:
+            (0o100755, Some(0o755)),
+            (0o100644, Some(0o755)),
+            (0o100750, Some(0o750)),
+            (0o100640, Some(0o750)),
+            (0o100700, Some(0o700)),
+            (0o100600, Some(0o700)),
+            (0o100775, Some(0o775)),
+            (0o100664, Some(0o775)),
+            (0o100770, Some(0o770)),
+            (0o100660, Some(0o770)),
+            (0o100764, Some(0o775)),
+            (0o100760, Some(0o770)),
+            // Less common:
+            (0o100674, Some(0o775)),
+            (0o100670, Some(0o770)),
+            (0o100000, Some(0o000)),
+            (0o100400, Some(0o500)),
+            (0o100440, Some(0o550)),
+            (0o100444, Some(0o555)),
+            (0o100462, Some(0o572)),
+            (0o100242, Some(0o252)),
+            (0o100167, Some(0o177)),
+            // With set-user-ID, set-group-ID, and sticky bits:
+            (0o104755, Some(0o755)),
+            (0o104644, Some(0o755)),
+            (0o102755, Some(0o755)),
+            (0o102644, Some(0o755)),
+            (0o101755, Some(0o755)),
+            (0o101644, Some(0o755)),
+            (0o106755, Some(0o755)),
+            (0o106644, Some(0o755)),
+            (0o104750, Some(0o750)),
+            (0o104640, Some(0o750)),
+            (0o102750, Some(0o750)),
+            (0o102640, Some(0o750)),
+            (0o101750, Some(0o750)),
+            (0o101640, Some(0o750)),
+            (0o106750, Some(0o750)),
+            (0o106640, Some(0o750)),
+            (0o107644, Some(0o755)),
+            (0o107000, Some(0o000)),
+            (0o106400, Some(0o500)),
+            (0o102462, Some(0o572)),
+            // Where it was replaced with a directory due to a race:
+            (0o040755, None),
+            (0o040644, None),
+            (0o040600, None),
+            (0o041755, None),
+            (0o041644, None),
+            (0o046644, None),
+            // Where it was replaced with a symlink due to a race:
+            (0o120777, None),
+            (0o120644, None),
+            // Where it was replaced with some other non-regular file due to a race:
+            (0o140644, None),
+            (0o060644, None),
+            (0o020644, None),
+            (0o010644, None),
+        ];
+        for (old_mode, expected) in cases {
+            use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
+            let old_perm = std::fs::Permissions::from_mode(old_mode);
+            let actual = super::set_mode_executable(old_perm).map(|perm| perm.mode());
+            assert_eq!(
+                actual,
+                expected,
+                "{old_mode:06o} should become {}, became {}",
+                pretty(expected),
+                pretty(actual)
+            );
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/gix-worktree-state/tests/state/checkout.rs b/gix-worktree-state/tests/state/checkout.rs
index c496d04688b..f69a5d748f1 100644
--- a/gix-worktree-state/tests/state/checkout.rs
+++ b/gix-worktree-state/tests/state/checkout.rs
@@ -220,9 +220,32 @@ fn overwriting_files_and_lone_directories_works() -> crate::Result {
 
         let meta = std::fs::symlink_metadata(exe)?;
         assert!(meta.is_file());
+        #[cfg(unix)]
         if opts.fs.executable_bit {
-            #[cfg(unix)]
-            assert_eq!(meta.mode() & 0o700, 0o700, "the executable bit is set where supported");
+            let mode = meta.mode();
+            assert_eq!(
+                mode & 0o100,
+                0o100,
+                "executable bit set where supported ({:04o} & {:04o} = {:04o} should be {:04o})",
+                mode,
+                0o100,
+                mode & 0o100,
+                0o100
+            );
+            let umask_write = gix_testtools::umask() & 0o222;
+            assert_eq!(
+                mode & umask_write,
+                0,
+                "no excessive write bits are set ({:04o} & {:04o} = {:04o} should be {:04o})",
+                mode,
+                umask_write,
+                mode & umask_write,
+                0
+            );
+            assert_ne!(
+                umask_write, 0,
+                "test not meaningful unless runner umask restricts some writes"
+            );
         }
 
         assert_eq!(
diff --git a/tests/tools/src/lib.rs b/tests/tools/src/lib.rs
index e3ce748cc5c..cb91c0b87c6 100644
--- a/tests/tools/src/lib.rs
+++ b/tests/tools/src/lib.rs
@@ -944,6 +944,19 @@ pub fn size_ok(actual_size: usize, expected_64_bit_size: usize) -> bool {
     return actual_size <= expected_64_bit_size;
 }
 
+/// Get the umask in a way that is safe, but may be too slow for use outside of tests.
+#[cfg(unix)]
+pub fn umask() -> u32 {
+    let output = std::process::Command::new("/bin/sh")
+        .args(["-c", "umask"])
+        .output()
+        .expect("can execute `sh -c umask`");
+    assert!(output.status.success(), "`sh -c umask` failed");
+    assert!(output.stderr.is_empty(), "`sh -c umask` unexpected message");
+    let text = output.stdout.to_str().expect("valid Unicode").trim();
+    u32::from_str_radix(text, 8).expect("parses as octal number")
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
diff --git a/tests/tools/src/main.rs b/tests/tools/src/main.rs
index bfe68bbe59c..99d944e32af 100644
--- a/tests/tools/src/main.rs
+++ b/tests/tools/src/main.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use std::{fs, io, io::prelude::*, path::PathBuf};
+
 fn mess_in_the_middle(path: PathBuf) -> io::Result<()> {
     let mut file = fs::OpenOptions::new().read(false).write(true).open(path)?;
     file.seek(io::SeekFrom::Start(file.metadata()?.len() / 2))?;
@@ -6,11 +7,19 @@ fn mess_in_the_middle(path: PathBuf) -> io::Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[cfg(unix)]
+fn umask() -> io::Result<()> {
+    println!("{:04o}", gix_testtools::umask());
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
     let mut args = std::env::args().skip(1);
     let scmd = args.next().expect("sub command");
     match &*scmd {
         "mess-in-the-middle" => mess_in_the_middle(PathBuf::from(args.next().expect("path to file to mess with")))?,
+        #[cfg(unix)]
+        "umask" => umask()?,
         _ => unreachable!("Unknown subcommand: {}", scmd),
     };
     Ok(())
diff --git a/tests/tools/tests/umask.rs b/tests/tools/tests/umask.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0a4cc04250b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tools/tests/umask.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#[test]
+#[cfg(unix)]
+#[cfg_attr(not(target_os = "linux"), ignore = "The test itself uses /proc")]
+fn umask() {
+    use std::fs::File;
+    use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader};
+
+    use bstr::ByteSlice;
+    // Check against the umask obtained via a less portable but also completely safe method.
+    let less_portable = BufReader::new(File::open("/proc/self/status").expect("can open"))
+        .split(b'\n')
+        .find_map(|line| line.expect("can read").strip_prefix(b"Umask:\t").map(ToOwned::to_owned))
+        .expect("has umask line")
+        .to_str()
+        .expect("umask line is valid UTF-8")
+        .to_owned();
+    let more_portable = format!("{:04o}", gix_testtools::umask());
+    assert_eq!(more_portable, less_portable);
+}