diff --git a/ocrd/ocrd/workspace.py b/ocrd/ocrd/workspace.py
index 1b46fce19..117b5f592 100644
--- a/ocrd/ocrd/workspace.py
+++ b/ocrd/ocrd/workspace.py
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ def save_mets(self):
         log.info("Saving mets '%s'", self.mets_target)
         if self.automatic_backup:
             WorkspaceBackupManager(self).add()
-        with atomic_write(self.mets_target, overwrite=True) as f:
+        with atomic_write(self.mets_target) as f:
             f.write(self.mets.to_xml(xmllint=True).decode('utf-8'))
 
     def resolve_image_exif(self, image_url):
diff --git a/ocrd/ocrd/workspace_backup.py b/ocrd/ocrd/workspace_backup.py
index c6ef1d29f..a23223b54 100644
--- a/ocrd/ocrd/workspace_backup.py
+++ b/ocrd/ocrd/workspace_backup.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def add(self):
             mets_file = join(d, 'mets.xml')
             log.info("Backing up to %s" % mets_file)
             makedirs(d)
-            with atomic_write(mets_file, overwrite=True) as f:
+            with atomic_write(mets_file) as f:
                 f.write(mets_str.decode('utf-8'))
         return chksum
 
diff --git a/ocrd_utils/ocrd_utils/os.py b/ocrd_utils/ocrd_utils/os.py
index a67fd2d1f..c3112de39 100644
--- a/ocrd_utils/ocrd_utils/os.py
+++ b/ocrd_utils/ocrd_utils/os.py
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@
     'atomic_write',
 ]
 
-from atomicwrites import atomic_write as atomic_write_
+from atomicwrites import atomic_write as atomic_write_, AtomicWriter
 from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
 import contextlib
-from os import getcwd, chdir, stat, chmod
+from os import getcwd, chdir, stat, fchmod, umask
 from os.path import exists, abspath as abspath_
 
 from zipfile import ZipFile
@@ -55,12 +55,25 @@ def unzip_file_to_dir(path_to_zip, output_directory):
     z.extractall(output_directory)
     z.close()
 
+
+
+# ht @pabs3
+# https://github.com/untitaker/python-atomicwrites/issues/42
+class AtomicWriterPerms(AtomicWriter):
+    def get_fileobject(self, **kwargs):
+        f = super().get_fileobject(**kwargs)
+        try:
+            mode = stat(self._path).st_mode
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            # Creating a new file, emulate what os.open() does
+            mask = umask(0)
+            umask(mask)
+            mode = 0o664 & ~mask
+        fd = f.fileno()
+        fchmod(fd, mode)
+        return f
+
 @contextlib.contextmanager
-def atomic_write(fpath, overwrite=False):
-    if exists(fpath):
-        mode = stat(fpath).st_mode
-    else:
-        mode =  0o664
-    with atomic_write_(fpath, overwrite=True) as f:
+def atomic_write(fpath):
+    with atomic_write_(fpath, writer_cls=AtomicWriterPerms, overwrite=True) as f:
         yield f
-    chmod(fpath, mode)
diff --git a/tests/test_workspace.py b/tests/test_workspace.py
index ee91a9c88..336bf1d23 100644
--- a/tests/test_workspace.py
+++ b/tests/test_workspace.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from os import walk, stat, chmod
+from os import walk, stat, chmod, umask
 from stat import filemode
 from subprocess import run, PIPE
 from os.path import join, exists, abspath, basename, dirname
@@ -280,12 +280,13 @@ def test_image_from_page_basic(self):
             self.assertEquals(info['features'], 'binarized,clipped')
 
     def test_mets_permissions(self):
-        initLogging()
         with TemporaryDirectory() as tempdir:
             ws = self.resolver.workspace_from_nothing(tempdir)
             ws.save_mets()
             mets_path = join(ws.directory, 'mets.xml')
-            assert filemode(stat(mets_path).st_mode) == '-rw-rw-r--'
+            mask = umask(0)
+            umask(mask)
+            assert '%o' % (stat(mets_path).st_mode & ~mask) == '100644'
             chmod(mets_path, 0o777)
             ws.save_mets()
             assert filemode(stat(mets_path).st_mode) == '-rwxrwxrwx'