diff --git a/src/buffer/Buffer.zig b/src/buffer/Buffer.zig
index 110e9524..9da402e2 100644
--- a/src/buffer/Buffer.zig
+++ b/src/buffer/Buffer.zig
@@ -1610,14 +1610,37 @@ pub fn store_to_existing_file_const(self: *const Self, file_path_: []const u8) S
         file_path = link;
     }
 
-    var atomic = blk: {
-        var write_buffer: [4096]u8 = undefined;
-        const stat = cwd().statFile(file_path) catch
-            break :blk try cwd().atomicFile(file_path, .{ .write_buffer = &write_buffer });
-        break :blk try cwd().atomicFile(file_path, .{ .mode = stat.mode, .write_buffer = &write_buffer });
+    var write_buffer: [4096]u8 = undefined;
+
+    if (builtin.os.tag == .windows) {
+        // windows uses ACLs for ownership so we preserve mode only
+        var atomic = blk: {
+            const stat = cwd().statFile(file_path) catch
+                break :blk try cwd().atomicFile(file_path, .{ .write_buffer = &write_buffer });
+            break :blk try cwd().atomicFile(file_path, .{ .mode = stat.mode, .write_buffer = &write_buffer });
+        };
+        defer atomic.deinit();
+        try self.store_to_file_const(&atomic.file_writer.interface);
+        return atomic.finish();
+    }
+
+    // use fstat to get uid/gid, which std.fs.File.Stat omits.
+    const orig_stat: ?std.posix.Stat = blk: {
+        const f = cwd().openFile(file_path, .{}) catch break :blk null;
+        defer f.close();
+        break :blk std.posix.fstat(f.handle) catch null;
     };
+    const mode: std.fs.File.Mode = if (orig_stat) |s| s.mode else std.fs.File.default_mode;
+    var atomic = try cwd().atomicFile(file_path, .{ .mode = mode, .write_buffer = &write_buffer });
     defer atomic.deinit();
     try self.store_to_file_const(&atomic.file_writer.interface);
+    // fchmod bypasses the process umask preserving the exact original mode
+    // fchown restores original owner/group
+    // EPERM is silently ignored when we lack sufficient privileges
+    if (orig_stat) |s| {
+        atomic.file_writer.file.chmod(s.mode) catch {};
+        std.posix.fchown(atomic.file_writer.file.handle, s.uid, s.gid) catch {};
+    }
     try atomic.finish();
 }
 
diff --git a/test/tests_buffer.zig b/test/tests_buffer.zig
index 18b0c58f..28ed4918 100644
--- a/test/tests_buffer.zig
+++ b/test/tests_buffer.zig
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const std = @import("std");
+const builtin = @import("builtin");
 const Buffer = @import("Buffer");
 
 const ArrayList = std.ArrayList;
@@ -99,6 +100,39 @@ test "buffer.store_to_file_and_clean" {
     try std.testing.expectEqualStrings(input, output);
 }
 
+test "buffer.store_to_file_and_clean preserves file mode" {
+    if (comptime builtin.os.tag == .windows) return error.SkipZigTest;
+
+    const tmp_path = "test/tmp_mode_test.txt";
+    {
+        const f = try std.fs.cwd().createFile(tmp_path, .{});
+        defer f.close();
+        try f.writeAll("hello\n");
+        try f.chmod(0o644);
+    }
+    defer std.fs.cwd().deleteFile(tmp_path) catch {};
+
+    // Set a umask that would strip group/other read bits (0o644 -> 0o600 without the fix)
+    // to verify that fchmod bypasses the process umask on save.
+    const prev_umask = if (comptime builtin.os.tag == .linux)
+        std.os.linux.syscall1(.umask, 0o077)
+    else
+        @as(usize, 0);
+    defer if (comptime builtin.os.tag == .linux) {
+        _ = std.os.linux.syscall1(.umask, prev_umask);
+    };
+
+    const buffer = try Buffer.create(a);
+    defer buffer.deinit();
+    try buffer.load_from_file_and_update(tmp_path);
+    try buffer.store_to_file_and_clean(tmp_path);
+
+    const f = try std.fs.cwd().openFile(tmp_path, .{});
+    defer f.close();
+    const stat = try std.posix.fstat(f.handle);
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(@as(std.posix.mode_t, 0o644), stat.mode & 0o777);
+}
+
 fn get_line(buf: *const Buffer, line: usize) ![]const u8 {
     var result: std.Io.Writer.Allocating = .init(a);
     try buf.root.get_line(line, &result.writer, metrics());