diff --git a/Codec/Archive/Tar.hs b/Codec/Archive/Tar.hs
--- a/Codec/Archive/Tar.hs
+++ b/Codec/Archive/Tar.hs
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@
        -> [RawFilePath] -- ^ Files and directories to archive, relative to base dir
        -> IO ()
 create tar base paths =
-    writeFileL tar (Just newFilePerms) . write =<< pack base paths
+    writeFileL tar (Just filePerms) . write =<< pack base paths
 
 -- | Extract all the files contained in a @\".tar\"@ file.
 --
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@
        -> IO ()
 append tar base paths = do
   handle <-
-    bracketOnError (openFd tar ReadWrite [] (Just newFilePerms)) (SPI.closeFd)
+    bracketOnError (openFd tar ReadWrite [] (Just filePerms)) (SPI.closeFd)
       $ SPI.fdToHandle
   finally (action handle) (hClose handle)
 
diff --git a/Codec/Archive/Tar/Types.hs b/Codec/Archive/Tar/Types.hs
--- a/Codec/Archive/Tar/Types.hs
+++ b/Codec/Archive/Tar/Types.hs
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@
   foldlEntries,
   unfoldEntries,
 
+  filePerms,
+  dirPerms,
+
 #ifdef TESTS
   limitToV7FormatCompat
 #endif
@@ -68,6 +71,7 @@
 
 import System.Posix.ByteString.FilePath (RawFilePath)
 import qualified System.Posix.FilePath as FilePath.Posix
+import System.Posix.Files.ByteString
 import System.Posix.Types ( FileMode )
 
 #ifdef TESTS
@@ -110,6 +114,28 @@
     entryFormat :: !Format
   }
   deriving (Eq, Show)
+
+
+
+-- |Default permissions for tar regular files.
+filePerms :: FileMode
+filePerms =
+  ownerWriteMode
+    `unionFileModes` ownerReadMode
+    `unionFileModes` groupWriteMode
+    `unionFileModes` groupReadMode
+    `unionFileModes` otherWriteMode
+    `unionFileModes` otherReadMode
+
+
+-- |Default permissions for tar directory.
+dirPerms :: FileMode
+dirPerms =
+  ownerModes
+    `unionFileModes` groupModes
+    `unionFileModes` otherExecuteMode
+    `unionFileModes` otherReadMode
+
 
 -- | Native 'FilePath' of the file or directory within the archive.
 --
diff --git a/Codec/Archive/Tar/Unpack.hs b/Codec/Archive/Tar/Unpack.hs
--- a/Codec/Archive/Tar/Unpack.hs
+++ b/Codec/Archive/Tar/Unpack.hs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
     unpackEntries _     (Fail err)      = either throwIO throwIO err
     unpackEntries links Done            = return links
     unpackEntries links (Next entry es) = case entryContent entry of
-      NormalFile file _ -> extractFile path file mtime
+      NormalFile file _ -> extractFile entry path file mtime
                         >> unpackEntries links es
       Directory         -> extractDir path mtime
                         >> unpackEntries links es
@@ -86,19 +86,19 @@
         path  = entryPath entry
         mtime = entryTime entry
 
-    extractFile path content mtime = do
+    extractFile entry path content mtime = do
       -- Note that tar archives do not make sure each directory is created
       -- before files they contain, indeed we may have to create several
       -- levels of directory.
-      createDirRecursive newDirPerms (normalise absDir)
-      writeFileL absPath (Just newFilePerms) content
+      createDirRecursive dirPerms (normalise absDir)
+      writeFileL absPath (Just $ entryPermissions entry) content
       setModTime absPath mtime
       where
         absDir  = baseDir </> FilePath.Native.takeDirectory path
         absPath = baseDir </> path
 
     extractDir path mtime = do
-      createDirRecursive newDirPerms (normalise absPath)
+      createDirRecursive dirPerms (normalise absPath)
       setModTime absPath mtime
       where
         absPath = baseDir </> path
diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 See also http://pvp.haskell.org/faq
 
+0.6.2.0
+
+  * fix executable bit: https://github.com/haskell/tar/issues/25
+  * fix default permissions for directories (also set write for group)
+
 0.6.1.3
 
   * fix bug in 'unpack'
diff --git a/tar-bytestring.cabal b/tar-bytestring.cabal
--- a/tar-bytestring.cabal
+++ b/tar-bytestring.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:            tar-bytestring
-version:         0.6.1.3
+version:         0.6.2.0
 license:         BSD3
 license-file:    LICENSE
 author:          Duncan Coutts <duncan@community.haskell.org>
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
                  time             >= 1.8,
                  containers       >= 0.2    && < 0.7,
                  deepseq          >= 1.1    && < 1.5,
-                 hpath-directory  >= 0.13.1 && < 0.14,
+                 hpath-directory  >= 0.13.2 && < 0.14,
                  hpath-filepath   >= 0.10.4 && < 0.11,
                  hpath-posix      >= 0.13.1 && < 0.14,
                  safe-exceptions  >= 0.1,