diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 37cd673..ad26415 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@ change either file.
 
 ## func WriteFile
 ``` go
-func WriteFile(filename string, r io.Reader) (err error)
+func WriteFile(filename string, r io.Reader, opts ...Option) (err error)
 ```
-WriteFile atomically writes the contents of r to the specified filepath.  If
-an error occurs, the target file is guaranteed to be either fully written, or
-not written at all.  WriteFile overwrites any file that exists at the
-location (but only if the write fully succeeds, otherwise the existing file
-is unmodified).
-
+WriteFile atomically writes the contents of r to the specified filepath.  If an
+error occurs, the target file is guaranteed to be either fully written, or not
+written at all.  WriteFile overwrites any file that exists at the location (but
+only if the write fully succeeds, otherwise the existing file is unmodified).
+Permissions are copied from an existing file or the DefaultFileMode option can
+be given to be used instead of the default `0600` from ioutil.TempFile().
diff --git a/atomic.go b/atomic.go
index f7e2706..47a1c19 100644
--- a/atomic.go
+++ b/atomic.go
@@ -9,12 +9,33 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 )
 
+type FileOptions struct {
+	defaultMode os.FileMode
+}
+
+type Option func(*FileOptions)
+
+// FileMode can be given as an argument to `WriteFile()` to change the default
+// file mode from the default value of ioutil.TempFile() (`0600`).
+func DefaultFileMode(mode os.FileMode) Option {
+	return func(opts *FileOptions) {
+		opts.defaultMode = mode
+	}
+}
+
 // WriteFile atomically writes the contents of r to the specified filepath.  If
 // an error occurs, the target file is guaranteed to be either fully written, or
 // not written at all.  WriteFile overwrites any file that exists at the
 // location (but only if the write fully succeeds, otherwise the existing file
-// is unmodified).
-func WriteFile(filename string, r io.Reader) (err error) {
+// is unmodified).  Permissions are copied from an existing file or the
+// DefaultFileMode option can be given to be used instead of the default `0600`
+// from ioutil.TempFile().
+func WriteFile(filename string, r io.Reader, opts ...Option) (err error) {
+	fopts := &FileOptions{}
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(fopts)
+	}
+
 	// write to a temp file first, then we'll atomically replace the target file
 	// with the temp file.
 	dir, file := filepath.Split(filename)
@@ -43,6 +64,12 @@ func WriteFile(filename string, r io.Reader) (err error) {
 	if err := f.Sync(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("can't flush tempfile %q: %v", name, err)
 	}
+	// when optional mode was given change default mode of temp file.
+	if fopts.defaultMode != 0 {
+		if err := f.Chmod(fopts.defaultMode); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("cannot change file mode %q: %v", name, err)
+		}
+	}
 	if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("can't close tempfile %q: %v", name, err)
 	}
diff --git a/atomic_test.go b/atomic_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6a1844
--- /dev/null
+++ b/atomic_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+package atomic
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestWriteFile(t *testing.T) {
+	file := "foo.txt"
+	content := bytes.NewBufferString("foo")
+	defer func() { _ = os.Remove(file) }()
+	if err := WriteFile(file, content); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Failed to write file: %q: %v", file, err)
+	}
+	fi, err := os.Stat(file)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Failed to stat file: %q: %v", file, err)
+	}
+	if fi.Mode() != 0600 {
+		t.Errorf("File mode not correct")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWriteDefaultFileMode(t *testing.T) {
+	file := "bar.txt"
+	content := bytes.NewBufferString("bar")
+	defer func() { _ = os.Remove(file) }()
+	if err := WriteFile(file, content, DefaultFileMode(0644)); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Failed to write file: %q: %v", file, err)
+	}
+	fi, err := os.Stat(file)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Failed to stat file: %q: %v", file, err)
+	}
+	if fi.Mode() != 0644 {
+		t.Errorf("File mode not correct")
+	}
+	// check if file mode is preserved
+	if err := os.Chmod(file, 0600); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Failed to change file mode: %q: %v", file, err)
+	}
+	if err := WriteFile(file, content, DefaultFileMode(0644)); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Failed to write file: %q: %v", file, err)
+	}
+	fi, err = os.Stat(file)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Failed to stat file: %q: %v", file, err)
+	}
+	if fi.Mode() != 0600 {
+		t.Errorf("File mode not correct")
+	}
+}