diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+## Path IO 1.1.0
+
+* Fixed bug in `copyDirRecur` when it was unable to full copy read-only
+  directories.
+
+* Added `copyDirRecur'` function that works just like `copyDirRecur`, but
+  does not preserve permissions.
+
 ## Path IO 1.0.1
 
 * Fixed bug in `copyDirRecur` for non-existing destination paths when
diff --git a/Path/IO.hs b/Path/IO.hs
--- a/Path/IO.hs
+++ b/Path/IO.hs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
   , listDir
   , listDirRecur
   , copyDirRecur
+  , copyDirRecur'
     -- ** Current working directory
   , getCurrentDir
   , setCurrentDir
@@ -329,35 +330,44 @@
   => Path b0 Dir       -- ^ Source
   -> Path b1 Dir       -- ^ Destination
   -> m ()
-copyDirRecur src dest = do
-  bsrc  <- makeAbsolute src
-  bdest <- makeAbsolute dest
-  (dirs, files) <- listDirRecur bsrc
-  ensureDir bdest
-  ignoringIOErrors (copyPermissions bsrc bdest)
-  mapM (swapParent bsrc bdest) dirs  >>= zipWithM_ copyDir  dirs
-  mapM (swapParent bsrc bdest) files >>= zipWithM_ copyFile files
+copyDirRecur = copyDirRecurGen True
 
--- | A helper for 'copyDirRecur', copies directory preserving permissions
--- when possible. It /does not/ copies directory contents.
+-- | The same as 'copyDirRecur', but it does not preserve directory
+-- permissions. This may be useful, for example, if directory you want to
+-- copy is “read-only”, but you want your copy to editable.
 
-copyDir :: (MonadIO m, MonadCatch m)
-  => Path Abs Dir      -- ^ Source
-  -> Path Abs Dir      -- ^ Destination
+copyDirRecur' :: (MonadIO m, MonadCatch m)
+  => Path b0 Dir       -- ^ Source
+  -> Path b1 Dir       -- ^ Destination
   -> m ()
-copyDir src dest = do
-  ensureDir dest
-  ignoringIOErrors (copyPermissions src dest)
+copyDirRecur' = copyDirRecurGen False
 
--- | A helper for 'copyDirRecur' that replaces given path prefix with
--- another one.
+-- | Generic version of 'copyDirRecur'. The first argument controls whether
+-- to preserve directory permissions or not.
 
-swapParent :: MonadThrow m
-  => Path Abs Dir      -- ^ Original parent
-  -> Path Abs Dir      -- ^ New parent
-  -> Path Abs t        -- ^ Path to transform
-  -> m (Path Abs t)
-swapParent old new path = (new </>) `liftM` stripDir old path
+copyDirRecurGen :: (MonadIO m, MonadCatch m)
+  => Bool              -- ^ Should we preserve directory permissions?
+  -> Path b0 Dir       -- ^ Source
+  -> Path b1 Dir       -- ^ Destination
+  -> m ()
+copyDirRecurGen p src dest = do
+  bsrc  <- makeAbsolute src
+  bdest <- makeAbsolute dest
+  (dirs, files) <- listDirRecur bsrc
+  let swapParent :: MonadThrow m
+        => Path Abs Dir
+        -> Path Abs Dir
+        -> Path Abs t
+        -> m (Path Abs t)
+      swapParent old new path = (new </>) `liftM` stripDir old path
+  tdirs  <- mapM (swapParent bsrc bdest) dirs
+  tfiles <- mapM (swapParent bsrc bdest) files
+  ensureDir bdest
+  mapM_ ensureDir tdirs
+  zipWithM_ copyFile files tfiles
+  when p $ do
+    ignoringIOErrors (copyPermissions bsrc bdest)
+    zipWithM_ (\s d -> ignoringIOErrors $ copyPermissions s d) dirs tdirs
 
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- Current working directory
diff --git a/path-io.cabal b/path-io.cabal
--- a/path-io.cabal
+++ b/path-io.cabal
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 -- POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 name:                 path-io
-version:              1.0.1
+version:              1.1.0
 cabal-version:        >= 1.10
 license:              BSD3
 license-file:         LICENSE.md
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
                     , exceptions   >= 0.8
                     , hspec        >= 2.0
                     , path         >= 0.5
-                    , path-io      >= 1.0.1
+                    , path-io      >= 1.1.0
   default-language:   Haskell2010
 
 source-repository head
diff --git a/tests/Main.hs b/tests/Main.hs
--- a/tests/Main.hs
+++ b/tests/Main.hs
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
     describe "listDir"      listDirSpec
     describe "listDirRecur" listDirRecurSpec
     describe "copyDirRecur" copyDirRecurSpec
+    describe "copyDirRecur'" copyDirRecur'Spec
     describe "findFile"     findFileSpec
   describe "getCurrentDir"  getCurrentDirSpec
   describe "setCurrentDir"  setCurrentDirSpec
@@ -69,12 +70,37 @@
   getDirStructure listDirRecur dir `shouldReturn` populatedDirStructure
 
 copyDirRecurSpec :: SpecWith (Path Abs Dir)
-copyDirRecurSpec = it "copies directory" $ \src -> do
-  let dest = parent src </> $(mkRelDir "copied-dir")
-  copyDirRecur src dest
-  old <- getDirStructure listDirRecur src
-  new <- getDirStructure listDirRecur dest
-  old `shouldBe` new
+copyDirRecurSpec = do
+  context "when source directory is editable" $
+    it "copies directory" $ \src -> do
+    let dest = parent src </> $(mkRelDir "copied-dir")
+    copyDirRecur src dest
+    old <- getDirStructure listDirRecur src
+    new <- getDirStructure listDirRecur dest
+    old `shouldBe` new
+  context "when source directory is read-only" $
+    it "copies directory just as well (preserving permissions)" $ \src -> do
+    let dest = parent src </> $(mkRelDir "copied-dir")
+    srcPermissions <- setOwnerWritable False <$> getPermissions src
+    setPermissions src srcPermissions
+    copyDirRecur src dest
+    old <- getDirStructure listDirRecur src
+    new <- getDirStructure listDirRecur dest
+    old `shouldBe` new
+    getPermissions dest `shouldReturn` srcPermissions
+
+copyDirRecur'Spec :: SpecWith (Path Abs Dir)
+copyDirRecur'Spec =
+  context "when source directory is read-only" $
+    it "copies directory but now it's editable" $ \src -> do
+    let dest = parent src </> $(mkRelDir "copied-dir")
+    srcPermissions <- setOwnerWritable False <$> getPermissions src
+    setPermissions src srcPermissions
+    copyDirRecur' src dest
+    old <- getDirStructure listDirRecur src
+    new <- getDirStructure listDirRecur dest
+    old `shouldBe` new
+    getPermissions dest `shouldReturn` srcPermissions { writable = True }
 
 findFileSpec :: SpecWith (Path Abs Dir)
 findFileSpec = it "finds a file lazily" $ \dir -> do