diff -upk.orig gzip-1.3.5.orig/gzip.c gzip-1.3.5/gzip.c
--- gzip-1.3.5.orig/gzip.c	2005-05-19 17:00:28 +0000
+++ gzip-1.3.5/gzip.c	2005-05-19 17:29:22 +0000
@@ -878,8 +878,9 @@ local void treat_file(iname)
     }
 
     close(ifd);
-    if (!to_stdout && close(ofd)) {
-	write_error();
+    /* Copy modes, times, ownership, and remove the input file */
+    if (!to_stdout && method != -1) {
+	copy_stat(&istat);
     }
     if (method == -1) {
 	if (!to_stdout) xunlink (ofname);
@@ -899,10 +900,6 @@ local void treat_file(iname)
 	}
 	fprintf(stderr, "\n");
     }
-    /* Copy modes, times, ownership, and remove the input file */
-    if (!to_stdout) {
-	copy_stat(&istat);
-    }
 }
 
 /* ========================================================================
@@ -1720,17 +1717,8 @@ local void reset_times (name, statb)
 local void copy_stat(ifstat)
     struct stat *ifstat;
 {
-#ifndef NO_UTIME
-    if (decompress && time_stamp != 0 && ifstat->st_mtime != time_stamp) {
-	ifstat->st_mtime = time_stamp;
-	if (verbose > 1) {
-	    fprintf(stderr, "%s: time stamp restored\n", ofname);
-	}
-    }
-    reset_times(ofname, ifstat);
-#endif
     /* Copy the protection modes */
-    if (chmod(ofname, ifstat->st_mode & 07777)) {
+    if (fchmod(ofd, ifstat->st_mode & 07777)) {
 	int e = errno;
 	WARN((stderr, "%s: ", progname));
 	if (!quiet) {
@@ -1739,9 +1727,20 @@ local void copy_stat(ifstat)
 	}
     }
 #ifndef NO_CHOWN
-    chown(ofname, ifstat->st_uid, ifstat->st_gid);  /* Copy ownership */
+    fchown(ofd, ifstat->st_uid, ifstat->st_gid);  /* Copy ownership */
 #endif
+    if (close(ofd))
+	write_error();
     remove_ofname = 0;
+#ifndef NO_UTIME
+    if (decompress && time_stamp != 0 && ifstat->st_mtime != time_stamp) {
+	ifstat->st_mtime = time_stamp;
+	if (verbose > 1) {
+	    fprintf(stderr, "%s: time stamp restored\n", ofname);
+	}
+    }
+    reset_times(ofname, ifstat);
+#endif
     /* It's now safe to remove the input file: */
     if (xunlink (ifname)) {
 	int e = errno;