diff --git a/update_child_repos.sh b/update_child_repos.sh
index 5932f00..bfdaea8 100755
--- a/update_child_repos.sh
+++ b/update_child_repos.sh
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ while IFS= read -r clone_url; do
         fi
 
         file_diff=$(git diff "${PREVIOUS_COMMIT_ID}" "${CURRENT_COMMIT_ID}" -- "${file}" 2>/dev/null || true)
-        
+
         if [ -n "${file_diff}" ]; then
           tmp_current=$(mktemp)
           tmp_diff=$(mktemp)
@@ -117,9 +117,11 @@ while IFS= read -r clone_url; do
           if patch --dry-run "${tmp_current}" "${tmp_diff}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
             patch "${tmp_current}" "${tmp_diff}" >/dev/null 2>&1
             patched_content=$(cat "${tmp_current}")
-            
+
             if [ "${current_content}" != "${patched_content}" ]; then
+              template_permissions=$(pushd "${TEMPLATE_REPO_DIR}" >/dev/null && stat -c "%a" "${file}" 2>/dev/null || echo "644" && popd >/dev/null)
               echo "${patched_content}" > "${file}"
+              chmod "${template_permissions}" "${file}" 2>/dev/null || true
               git add "${file}"
               files_changed=true
               echo "Merged updates for ${file} in ${repo_name}"
@@ -138,6 +140,8 @@ while IFS= read -r clone_url; do
         echo "Adding new file ${file} from template to ${repo_name}"
         mkdir -p "$(dirname "${file}")"
         echo "${template_content}" > "${file}"
+        template_permissions=$(pushd "${TEMPLATE_REPO_DIR}" >/dev/null && stat -c "%a" "${file}" 2>/dev/null || echo "644" && popd >/dev/null)
+        chmod "${template_permissions}" "${file}" 2>/dev/null || true
         git add "${file}"
         files_changed=true
       fi