diff --git a/builtin-apply.c b/builtin-apply.c
index 07244b0736..a8f75ed3ed 100644
--- a/builtin-apply.c
+++ b/builtin-apply.c
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ static int gitdiff_index(const char *line, struct patch *patch)
 	memcpy(patch->new_sha1_prefix, line, len);
 	patch->new_sha1_prefix[len] = 0;
 	if (*ptr == ' ')
-		patch->new_mode = patch->old_mode = strtoul(ptr+1, NULL, 8);
+		patch->old_mode = strtoul(ptr+1, NULL, 8);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -2447,6 +2447,8 @@ static int check_preimage(struct patch *patch, struct cache_entry **ce, struct s
 	if (st_mode != patch->old_mode)
 		fprintf(stderr, "warning: %s has type %o, expected %o\n",
 			old_name, st_mode, patch->old_mode);
+	if (!patch->new_mode)
+		patch->new_mode = st_mode;
 	return 0;
 
  is_new:
diff --git a/t/t4129-apply-samemode.sh b/t/t4129-apply-samemode.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..adfcbb5a3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t4129-apply-samemode.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='applying patch with mode bits'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success setup '
+	echo original >file &&
+	git add file &&
+	test_tick &&
+	git commit -m initial &&
+	git tag initial &&
+	echo modified >file &&
+	git diff --stat -p >patch-0.txt &&
+	chmod +x file &&
+	git diff --stat -p >patch-1.txt
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'same mode (no index)' '
+	git reset --hard &&
+	chmod +x file &&
+	git apply patch-0.txt &&
+	test -x file
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'same mode (with index)' '
+	git reset --hard &&
+	chmod +x file &&
+	git add file &&
+	git apply --index patch-0.txt &&
+	test -x file &&
+	git diff --exit-code
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'same mode (index only)' '
+	git reset --hard &&
+	chmod +x file &&
+	git add file &&
+	git apply --cached patch-0.txt &&
+	git ls-files -s file | grep "^100755"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'mode update (no index)' '
+	git reset --hard &&
+	git apply patch-1.txt &&
+	test -x file
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'mode update (with index)' '
+	git reset --hard &&
+	git apply --index patch-1.txt &&
+	test -x file &&
+	git diff --exit-code
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'mode update (index only)' '
+	git reset --hard &&
+	git apply --cached patch-1.txt &&
+	git ls-files -s file | grep "^100755"
+'
+
+test_done