diff --git a/racket/src/cs/c/embed-boot.rkt b/racket/src/cs/c/embed-boot.rkt
index 08afc002e4..468a8f0960 100644
--- a/racket/src/cs/c/embed-boot.rkt
+++ b/racket/src/cs/c/embed-boot.rkt
@@ -82,16 +82,10 @@
           (add-racket-section use-src-file dest-file #".rackboot"
                               (lambda (pos)
                                 (values data 'any1 'any2))))
-        (define (ensure-executable dest-file)
-          (let* ([perms1 (file-or-directory-permissions dest-file 'bits)]
-                 [perms2 (bitwise-ior user-read-bit user-write-bit user-execute-bit
-                                      perms1)])
-            (unless (equal? perms1 perms2)
-              (file-or-directory-permissions dest-file perms2))))
         (cond
           [start-pos
            ;; Success as ELF
-           (ensure-executable dest-file)
+           (file-or-directory-permissions dest-file (file-or-directory-permissions use-src-file 'bits))
            (cond
              [expect-elf?
               ;; Find ".rackboot" at run time:
@@ -101,7 +95,6 @@
           [else
            ;; Not ELF; just append to the end
            (copy-file use-src-file dest-file #t)
-           (ensure-executable dest-file)
            (define pos (file-size dest-file))
            (call-with-output-file*
             dest-file
@@ -134,6 +127,4 @@
 	  (copy-file (car alt) (cdr alt) #t)
 	  (write-offsets (cdr alt)))])
 
-   (file-or-directory-permissions dest-file (file-or-directory-permissions use-src-file 'bits))
-
    (clean-src)))