diff --git a/targz.go b/targz.go
index d5c624b5..ebaaa366 100644
--- a/targz.go
+++ b/targz.go
@@ -76,17 +76,18 @@ func tarGzFile(tarWriter *tar.Writer, source string) error {
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		file, err := os.Open(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("%s: open: %v", path, err)
+		if header.Typeflag == tar.TypeReg {
+			file, err := os.Open(path)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("%s: open: %v", path, err)
+			}
+			defer file.Close()
+
+			_, err = io.Copy(tarWriter, file)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("%s: copying contents: %v", path, err)
+			}
 		}
-		defer file.Close()
-
-		_, err = io.Copy(tarWriter, file)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("%s: copying contents: %v", path, err)
-		}
-
 		return nil
 	})
 }
@@ -128,7 +129,9 @@ func untarGzFile(tr *tar.Reader, header *tar.Header, destination string) error {
 	case tar.TypeDir:
 		return mkdir(filepath.Join(destination, header.Name))
 	case tar.TypeReg:
-		return writeNewFile(filepath.Join(destination, header.Name), tr)
+		return writeNewFile(filepath.Join(destination, header.Name), tr, header.FileInfo().Mode())
+	case tar.TypeSymlink:
+		return writeNewSymbolicLink(filepath.Join(destination, header.Name), header.Linkname)
 	default:
 		return fmt.Errorf("%s: unknown type flag: %c", header.Name, header.Typeflag)
 	}
diff --git a/zip.go b/zip.go
index 27f80c99..e78c5203 100644
--- a/zip.go
+++ b/zip.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 )
 
@@ -84,15 +85,17 @@ func zipFile(w *zip.Writer, source string) error {
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		file, err := os.Open(fpath)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("%s: opening: %v", fpath, err)
-		}
-		defer file.Close()
+		if header.Mode().IsRegular() {
+			file, err := os.Open(fpath)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("%s: opening: %v", fpath, err)
+			}
+			defer file.Close()
 
-		_, err = io.Copy(writer, file)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("%s: copying contents: %v", fpath, err)
+			_, err = io.Copy(writer, file)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("%s: copying contents: %v", fpath, err)
+			}
 		}
 
 		return nil
@@ -127,10 +130,10 @@ func unzipFile(zf *zip.File, destination string) error {
 	}
 	defer rc.Close()
 
-	return writeNewFile(filepath.Join(destination, zf.Name), rc)
+	return writeNewFile(filepath.Join(destination, zf.Name), rc, zf.FileInfo().Mode())
 }
 
-func writeNewFile(fpath string, in io.Reader) error {
+func writeNewFile(fpath string, in io.Reader, fm os.FileMode) error {
 	err := os.MkdirAll(path.Dir(fpath), 0755)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%s: making directory for file: %v", fpath, err)
@@ -142,6 +145,11 @@ func writeNewFile(fpath string, in io.Reader) error {
 	}
 	defer out.Close()
 
+	err = out.Chmod(fm)
+	if err != nil && runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s: changing file mode: %v", fpath, err)
+	}
+
 	_, err = io.Copy(out, in)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%s: writing file: %v", fpath, err)
@@ -149,6 +157,20 @@ func writeNewFile(fpath string, in io.Reader) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func writeNewSymbolicLink(fpath string, target string) error {
+	err := os.MkdirAll(path.Dir(fpath), 0755)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s: making directory for file: %v", fpath, err)
+	}
+
+	err = os.Symlink(target, fpath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s: making symbolic link for: %v", fpath, err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func mkdir(dirPath string) error {
 	err := os.Mkdir(dirPath, 0755)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/zip_test.go b/zip_test.go
index 927c8663..3a1aa862 100644
--- a/zip_test.go
+++ b/zip_test.go
@@ -65,17 +65,29 @@ func symmetricTest(t *testing.T, ext string, cf CompressFunc, dcf DecompressFunc
 			return nil
 		}
 
+		expectedFileInfo, err := os.Stat(origPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("%s: Error obtaining original file info: %v", fpath, err)
+		}
 		expected, err := ioutil.ReadFile(origPath)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("%s: Couldn't open original file (%s) from disk: %v",
 				fpath, origPath, err)
 		}
 
+		actualFileInfo, err := os.Stat(fpath)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("%s: Error obtaining actual file info: %v", fpath, err)
+		}
 		actual, err := ioutil.ReadFile(fpath)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("%s: Couldn't open new file from disk: %v", fpath, err)
 		}
 
+		if actualFileInfo.Mode() != expectedFileInfo.Mode() {
+			t.Fatalf("%s: File mode differed between on disk and compressed",
+				expectedFileInfo.Mode().String()+" : "+actualFileInfo.Mode().String())
+		}
 		if !bytes.Equal(expected, actual) {
 			t.Fatalf("%s: File contents differed between on disk and compressed", origPath)
 		}