diff --git a/programs/fileio.c b/programs/fileio.c
index 7d58a11e..e289f9ab 100644
--- a/programs/fileio.c
+++ b/programs/fileio.c
@@ -502,14 +502,21 @@ void FIO_setContentSize(FIO_prefs_t* const prefs, int value)
  * @result : Unlink `fileName`, even if it's read-only */
 static int FIO_remove(const char* path)
 {
-    if (!UTIL_isRegularFile(path)) {
-        DISPLAYLEVEL(2, "zstd: Refusing to remove non-regular file %s \n", path);
+    stat_t statbuf;
+    if (!UTIL_stat(path, &statbuf)) {
+        DISPLAYLEVEL(2, "zstd: Failed to stat %s while trying to remove it\n", path);
+        return 0;
+    }
+    if (!UTIL_isRegularFileStat(&statbuf)) {
+        DISPLAYLEVEL(2, "zstd: Refusing to remove non-regular file %s\n", path);
         return 0;
     }
 #if defined(_WIN32) || defined(WIN32)
     /* windows doesn't allow remove read-only files,
      * so try to make it writable first */
-    UTIL_chmod(path, NULL, _S_IWRITE);
+    if (!(statbuf.mode & _S_IWRITE)) {
+        UTIL_chmod(path, &statbuf, _S_IWRITE);
+    }
 #endif
     return remove(path);
 }
diff --git a/programs/util.c b/programs/util.c
index fd4d7a60..9f9f45d2 100644
--- a/programs/util.c
+++ b/programs/util.c
@@ -157,7 +157,8 @@ int UTIL_setFileStat(const char *filename, const stat_t *statbuf)
 {
     int res = 0;
 
-    if (!UTIL_isRegularFile(filename))
+    stat_t curStatBuf;
+    if (!UTIL_stat(filename, &curStatBuf) || !UTIL_isRegularFileStat(&curStatBuf))
         return -1;
 
     /* set access and modification times */
@@ -185,7 +186,7 @@ int UTIL_setFileStat(const char *filename, const stat_t *statbuf)
     res += chown(filename, statbuf->st_uid, statbuf->st_gid);  /* Copy ownership */
 #endif
 
-    res += UTIL_chmod(filename, NULL, statbuf->st_mode & 07777);  /* Copy file permissions */
+    res += UTIL_chmod(filename, &curStatBuf, statbuf->st_mode & 07777);  /* Copy file permissions */
 
     errno = 0;
     return -res; /* number of errors is returned */