diff --git a/dotdrop/updater.py b/dotdrop/updater.py
index b117a94..7600df2 100644
--- a/dotdrop/updater.py
+++ b/dotdrop/updater.py
@@ -148,6 +148,22 @@ class Updater:
         self.templater.restore_vars(self.tvars)
         return self.templater.generate(tpath)
 
+    def _same_rights(self, left, right):
+        """return True if files have the same modes"""
+        try:
+            l = os.stat(left)
+            r = os.stat(right)
+            return l.st_mode == r.st_mode
+        except OSError as e:
+            return False
+
+    def _mirror_rights(self, src, dst):
+        try:
+            rights = os.stat(src).st_mode
+            os.chmod(dst, rights)
+        except OSError as e:
+            self.log.err(e)
+
     def _handle_file(self, path, dtpath, compare=True):
         """sync path (deployed file) and dtpath (dotdrop dotfile path)"""
         if self._ignore([path, dtpath]):
@@ -162,7 +178,8 @@ class Updater:
             if self.showpatch:
                 self._show_patch(path, dtpath)
             return False
-        if compare and filecmp.cmp(path, dtpath, shallow=True):
+        if compare and filecmp.cmp(path, dtpath, shallow=False) and \
+                self._same_rights(path, dtpath):
             # no difference
             if self.debug:
                 self.log.dbg('identical files: {} and {}'.format(path, dtpath))
@@ -176,6 +193,7 @@ class Updater:
                 if self.debug:
                     self.log.dbg('cp {} {}'.format(path, dtpath))
                 shutil.copyfile(path, dtpath)
+                self._mirror_rights(path, dtpath)
                 self.log.sub('\"{}\" updated'.format(dtpath))
         except IOError as e:
             self.log.warn('{} update failed, do manually: {}'.format(path, e))
@@ -275,6 +293,7 @@ class Updater:
             if self.debug:
                 self.log.dbg('cp {} {}'.format(exist, new))
             shutil.copyfile(exist, new)
+            self._mirror_rights(exist, new)
             self.log.sub('\"{}\" added'.format(new))
 
         # remove files that don't exist in deployed version
@@ -295,6 +314,13 @@ class Updater:
             remove(new)
             self.log.sub('\"{}\" removed'.format(new))
 
+        # compare rights
+        for common in diff.common_files:
+            l = os.path.join(left, common)
+            r = os.path.join(right, common)
+            if not self._same_rights(l, r):
+                self._mirror_rights(l, r)
+
         # Recursively decent into common subdirectories.
         for subdir in diff.subdirs.values():
             self._merge_dirs(subdir)
diff --git a/tests-ng/update-rights.sh b/tests-ng/update-rights.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5ff2fa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-ng/update-rights.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# author: deadc0de6 (https://github.com/deadc0de6)
+# Copyright (c) 2019, deadc0de6
+#
+# test updates and rights
+# returns 1 in case of error
+#
+
+# exit on first error
+set -e
+
+# all this crap to get current path
+rl="readlink -f"
+if ! ${rl} "${0}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  rl="realpath"
+
+  if ! hash ${rl}; then
+    echo "\"${rl}\" not found !" && exit 1
+  fi
+fi
+cur=$(dirname "$(${rl} "${0}")")
+
+#hash dotdrop >/dev/null 2>&1
+#[ "$?" != "0" ] && echo "install dotdrop to run tests" && exit 1
+
+#echo "called with ${1}"
+
+# dotdrop path can be pass as argument
+ddpath="${cur}/../"
+[ "${1}" != "" ] && ddpath="${1}"
+[ ! -d ${ddpath} ] && echo "ddpath \"${ddpath}\" is not a directory" && exit 1
+
+export PYTHONPATH="${ddpath}:${PYTHONPATH}"
+bin="python3 -m dotdrop.dotdrop"
+
+echo "dotdrop path: ${ddpath}"
+echo "pythonpath: ${PYTHONPATH}"
+
+# get the helpers
+source ${cur}/helpers
+
+echo -e "$(tput setaf 6)==> RUNNING $(basename $BASH_SOURCE) <==$(tput sgr0)"
+
+################################################################
+# this is the test
+################################################################
+
+# dotdrop directory
+basedir=`mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d`
+echo "[+] dotdrop dir: ${basedir}"
+echo "[+] dotpath dir: ${basedir}/dotfiles"
+
+# the dotfile directory to be imported
+tmpd=`mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d`
+# the dotfile file to be imported
+tmpf=`mktemp`
+
+# single file
+echo 'file' > ${tmpf}
+
+mkdir ${tmpd}/dir1
+echo 'dir1file1' > ${tmpd}/dir1/file1
+echo 'dir1file2' > ${tmpd}/dir1/file2
+
+# create the config file
+cfg="${basedir}/config.yaml"
+create_conf ${cfg} # sets token
+
+# import dir1
+echo "[+] import"
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} import -c ${cfg} ${tmpd}
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} import -c ${cfg} ${tmpf}
+
+# change file
+chmod +x ${tmpf}
+
+# update
+echo "[+] updating"
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} update -c ${cfg} -f --verbose ${tmpf}
+
+# test change applied
+[ "`stat -c '%a' ${tmpf}`" != "`stat -c '%a' ${basedir}/dotfiles/${tmpf}`" ] && exit 1
+
+# change file
+chmod +x ${tmpd}/dir1/file2
+echo 'test' > ${tmpd}/dir1/newfile
+chmod +x ${tmpd}/dir1/newfile
+
+# update
+echo "[+] updating"
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} update -c ${cfg} -f --verbose ${tmpd}
+
+# test change applied
+[ "`stat -c '%a' ${tmpd}/dir1/newfile`" != "`stat -c '%a' ${basedir}/dotfiles/${tmpd}/dir1/newfile`" ] && exit 1
+[ "`stat -c '%a' ${tmpd}/dir1/file2`" != "`stat -c '%a' ${basedir}/dotfiles/${tmpd}/dir1/file2`" ] && exit 1
+
+## CLEANING
+rm -rf ${basedir} ${tmpd}
+
+echo "OK"
+exit 0