diff --git a/plugin/AtomicSave.vim b/plugin/AtomicSave.vim
index 5e5482c..d9675db 100644
--- a/plugin/AtomicSave.vim
+++ b/plugin/AtomicSave.vim
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 function! AtomicSave()
   if (writefile(getline(1, '$'), expand('<afile>').'.tmp') == 0)|
+    call system('if [ -f ' . shellescape(expand('<afile>')) . ' ]; then chmod --reference=' . shellescape(expand('<afile>')) . ' ' . shellescape(expand('<afile>').'.tmp') . '; fi')|
+    if  v:shell_error|
+      echo "error chmod file: chmod returned " v:shell_error|
+    endif|
+
     " NOTE: vim's "rename" erroneously calls "unlink" on its target!
     " THIS DOES NOT WORK: if (rename(expand('<afile>').'.tmp', expand('<afile>')) == 0) | set nomodified | echo "error" | endif
     call system('mv ' . shellescape(expand('<afile>').'.tmp') . ' ' . shellescape(expand('<afile>')))|