diff --git a/docs/config/config-file.md b/docs/config/config-file.md
index 763177f..2c93dde 100644
--- a/docs/config/config-file.md
+++ b/docs/config/config-file.md
@@ -91,17 +91,17 @@ dotfiles:
     dst: ~/dir
     chmod: 744
   f_preserve:
-    src: preserve
-    dst: ~/preserve
+    src: pfile
+    dst: ~/pfile
     chmod: preserve
 ```
 
-The `chmod` value defines the file permissions in octal notation to apply on dotfiles. If undefined
+The `chmod` value defines the file permissions in octal notation to apply to the dotfile. If undefined
 new files will get the system default permissions (see `umask`, `777-<umask>` for directories and
 `666-<umask>` for files).
 
 The special keyword `preserve` allows to ensure that if the dotfiles already exists
-on the filesystem, it is not altered during `install` and the `chmod` value won't
+on the filesystem, its permission is not altered during `install` and the `chmod` config value won't
 be changed during `update`.
 
 On `import`, the following rules are applied:
diff --git a/dotdrop/installer.py b/dotdrop/installer.py
index 775eb70..8fabee0 100644
--- a/dotdrop/installer.py
+++ b/dotdrop/installer.py
@@ -180,40 +180,52 @@ class Installer:
         if self.dry:
             return self._log_install(ret, err)
 
-        # handle chmod
-        # - on success (r, not err)
-        # - no change (not r, not err)
-        # but not when
-        # - error (not r, err)
-        # - aborted (not r, err)
-        # - special keyword "preserve"
+        self._apply_chmod_after_install(src, dst, ret, err,
+                                        chmod=chmod,
+                                        force_chmod=force_chmod,
+                                        linktype=linktype)
+
+        return self._log_install(ret, err)
+
+    def _apply_chmod_after_install(self, src, dst, ret, err,
+                                   chmod=None,
+                                   force_chmod=False,
+                                   linktype=LinkTypes.NOLINK):
+        """
+        handle chmod after install
+        - on success (r, not err)
+        - no change (not r, not err)
+        but not when
+        - error (not r, err)
+        - aborted (not r, err)
+        - special keyword "preserve"
+        """
         apply_chmod = linktype in [LinkTypes.NOLINK, LinkTypes.LINK_CHILDREN]
         apply_chmod = apply_chmod and os.path.exists(dst)
         apply_chmod = apply_chmod and (ret or (not ret and not err))
         apply_chmod = apply_chmod and chmod != CfgYaml.chmod_ignore
-        if apply_chmod:
-            if not chmod:
-                chmod = get_file_perm(src)
-            self.log.dbg(f'applying chmod {chmod:o} to {dst}')
-            dstperms = get_file_perm(dst)
-            if dstperms != chmod:
-                # apply mode
-                msg = f'chmod {dst} to {chmod:o}'
-                if not force_chmod and self.safe and not self.log.ask(msg):
-                    ret = False
-                    err = 'aborted'
-                else:
-                    if not self.comparing:
-                        self.log.sub(f'chmod {dst} to {chmod:o}')
-                    if chmodit(dst, chmod, debug=self.debug):
-                        ret = True
-                    else:
-                        ret = False
-                        err = 'chmod failed'
-        else:
+        if not apply_chmod:
             self.log.dbg('no chmod applied')
-
-        return self._log_install(ret, err)
+            return
+        if not chmod:
+            chmod = get_file_perm(src)
+            self.log.dbg(f'dotfile in dotpath perm: {chmod:o}')
+        self.log.dbg(f'applying chmod {chmod:o} to {dst}')
+        dstperms = get_file_perm(dst)
+        if dstperms != chmod:
+            # apply mode
+            msg = f'chmod {dst} to {chmod:o}'
+            if not force_chmod and self.safe and not self.log.ask(msg):
+                ret = False
+                err = 'aborted'
+            else:
+                if not self.comparing:
+                    self.log.sub(f'chmod {dst} to {chmod:o}')
+                if chmodit(dst, chmod, debug=self.debug):
+                    ret = True
+                else:
+                    ret = False
+                    err = 'chmod failed'
 
     def install_to_temp(self, templater, tmpdir, src, dst,
                         is_template=True, chmod=None, ignore=None,
@@ -594,8 +606,9 @@ class Installer:
             self.log.dbg(f'deploy sub from {dst}: {entry}')
             if not os.path.isdir(fpath):
                 # is file
+                fdst = os.path.join(dst, entry)
                 res, err = self._copy_file(templater, fpath,
-                                           os.path.join(dst, entry),
+                                           fdst,
                                            actionexec=actionexec,
                                            noempty=noempty,
                                            ignore=ignore,
@@ -604,6 +617,8 @@ class Installer:
                     # error occured
                     return res, err
 
+                self._apply_chmod_after_install(fpath, fdst, ret, err)
+
                 if res:
                     # something got installed
                     ret = True, None
diff --git a/tests-ng/chmod-install-dir.sh b/tests-ng/chmod-install-dir.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6576952
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-ng/chmod-install-dir.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# author: deadc0de6 (https://github.com/deadc0de6)
+# Copyright (c) 2023, deadc0de6
+#
+# test chmod dir sub file on install
+#
+
+## start-cookie
+set -euo errtrace pipefail
+cur=$(cd "$(dirname "${0}")" && pwd)
+ddpath="${cur}/../"
+PPATH="{PYTHONPATH:-}"
+export PYTHONPATH="${ddpath}:${PPATH}"
+altbin="python3 -m dotdrop.dotdrop"
+if hash coverage 2>/dev/null; then
+  mkdir -p coverages/
+  altbin="coverage run -p --data-file coverages/coverage --source=dotdrop -m dotdrop.dotdrop"
+fi
+bin="${DT_BIN:-${altbin}}"
+# shellcheck source=tests-ng/helpers
+source "${cur}"/helpers
+echo -e "$(tput setaf 6)==> RUNNING $(basename "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}") <==$(tput sgr0)"
+## end-cookie
+
+################################################################
+# this is the test
+################################################################
+
+# $1 path
+# $2 rights
+has_rights()
+{
+  echo "testing ${1} is ${2}"
+  [ ! -e "$1" ] && echo "$(basename "$1") does not exist" && exit 1
+  local mode
+  mode=$(stat -L -c '%a' "$1")
+  [ "${mode}" != "$2" ] && echo "bad mode for $(basename "$1") (${mode} VS expected ${2})" && exit 1
+  true
+}
+
+# the dotfile source
+tmps=$(mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d)
+mkdir -p "${tmps}"/dotfiles
+# the dotfile destination
+tmpd=$(mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d)
+#echo "dotfile destination: ${tmpd}"
+
+clear_on_exit "${tmps}"
+clear_on_exit "${tmpd}"
+
+# create the config file
+cfg="${tmps}/config.yaml"
+
+cat > "${cfg}" << _EOF
+config:
+  backup: true
+  create: true
+  dotpath: dotfiles
+  force_chmod: true
+dotfiles:
+  d_dir:
+    src: dir
+    dst: ${tmpd}/dir
+profiles:
+  p1:
+    dotfiles:
+    - d_dir
+_EOF
+#cat ${cfg}
+
+mkdir -p "${tmps}"/dotfiles/dir
+echo 'file1' > "${tmps}"/dotfiles/dir/file1
+chmod 700 "${tmps}"/dotfiles/dir/file1
+echo 'file2' > "${tmps}"/dotfiles/dir/file2
+chmod 777 "${tmps}"/dotfiles/dir/file2
+echo 'file3' > "${tmps}"/dotfiles/dir/file3
+chmod 644 "${tmps}"/dotfiles/dir/file3
+
+ls -l "${tmps}"/dotfiles/dir/
+
+# install
+echo "install (1)"
+cd "${ddpath}" | ${bin} install -c "${cfg}" -f -p p1 -V
+
+has_rights "${tmpd}/dir/file1" "700"
+has_rights "${tmpd}/dir/file2" "777"
+has_rights "${tmpd}/dir/file3" "644"
+
+# modify
+chmod 666 "${tmpd}/dir/file1"
+chmod 666 "${tmpd}/dir/file2"
+chmod 666 "${tmpd}/dir/file3"
+
+# install
+echo "install (2)"
+cd "${ddpath}" | ${bin} install -c "${cfg}" -f -p p1 -V
+
+has_rights "${tmpd}/dir/file1" "700"
+has_rights "${tmpd}/dir/file2" "777"
+has_rights "${tmpd}/dir/file3" "644"
+
+echo "OK"
+exit 0