diff --git a/dotdrop/updater.py b/dotdrop/updater.py
index 188882f..67b9f6a 100644
--- a/dotdrop/updater.py
+++ b/dotdrop/updater.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import filecmp
 from dotdrop.logger import Logger
 from dotdrop.templategen import Templategen
 from dotdrop.utils import patch_ignores, remove, get_unique_tmp_name, \
-    write_to_tmpfile, must_ignore
+    write_to_tmpfile, must_ignore, mirror_file_rights
 
 
 TILD = '~'
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ class Updater:
         """provide a way to manually patch the template"""
         content = self._resolve_template(tpath)
         tmp = write_to_tmpfile(content)
+        mirror_file_rights(tpath, tmp)
         cmds = ['diff', '-u', tmp, fpath, '|', 'patch', tpath]
         self.log.warn('try patching with: \"{}\"'.format(' '.join(cmds)))
         return False
@@ -169,8 +170,7 @@ class Updater:
 
     def _mirror_rights(self, src, dst):
         try:
-            rights = os.stat(src).st_mode
-            os.chmod(dst, rights)
+            mirror_file_rights(src, dst)
         except OSError as e:
             self.log.err(e)
 
diff --git a/dotdrop/utils.py b/dotdrop/utils.py
index ee1a65d..9c43432 100644
--- a/dotdrop/utils.py
+++ b/dotdrop/utils.py
@@ -233,3 +233,9 @@ def dependencies_met():
     for dep in deps:
         if not which(dep):
             raise Exception(err.format(dep))
+
+
+def mirror_file_rights(src, dst):
+    """mirror file rights of src to dst (can rise exc)"""
+    rights = os.stat(src).st_mode
+    os.chmod(dst, rights)