diff --git a/t/file-permission.t b/t/file-permission.t
index c5613ef..a21270c 100644
--- a/t/file-permission.t
+++ b/t/file-permission.t
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@ use Test::More;
 use lib 't';
 use Util;
 
+use constant NTESTS => 10;
+
 plan skip_all => q{Can't be checked under Win32} if is_win32;
-plan tests => 10;
+plan tests => NTESTS;
 
 prep_environment();
 
@@ -19,16 +21,22 @@ my $program = $0;
 my $old_mode;
 (undef, undef, $old_mode) = stat($program);
 my $nchanged = chmod 0000, $program;
-is( $nchanged, 1, sprintf( 'chmodded %s to 0000 from %o', $program, $old_mode ) );
 
-# execute a search on this file
-check_with( 'regex', $program );
-#   --count takes a different execution path
-check_with( 'regex', '--count', $program );
+SKIP: {
+    skip q{Unable to modify test program's permissions}, NTESTS unless $nchanged;
+
+    is( $nchanged, 1, sprintf( 'chmodded %s to 0000 from %o', $program, $old_mode ) );
+
+    # execute a search on this file
+    check_with( 'regex', $program );
 
-# change permissions back
-chmod $old_mode, $program;
-is( $nchanged, 1, sprintf( 'chmodded %s back to %o', $program, $old_mode ) );
+    # --count takes a different execution path
+    check_with( 'regex', '--count', $program );
+
+    # change permissions back
+    chmod $old_mode, $program;
+    is( $nchanged, 1, sprintf( 'chmodded %s back to %o', $program, $old_mode ) );
+}
 
 sub check_with {
     local $Test::Builder::Level = $Test::Builder::Level + 1;
diff --git a/tags b/tags
index ecc7664..bc4f70b 100644
--- a/tags
+++ b/tags
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ NO_O	t/ack-o.t	/^NO_O: {$/;"	l
 NO_STARTDIR	t/ack-g.t	/^NO_STARTDIR: {$/;"	l
 NO_SWITCHES_MULTIPLE_FILES	t/ack-h.t	/^NO_SWITCHES_MULTIPLE_FILES: {$/;"	l
 NO_SWITCHES_ONE_FILE	t/ack-h.t	/^NO_SWITCHES_ONE_FILE: {$/;"	l
+NTESTS	t/file-permission.t	/^use constant NTESTS => 10;$/;"	c
 ONLY_MAKEFILES	t/ack-g.t	/^ONLY_MAKEFILES: {$/;"	l
 PARROT_FILES_DESCEND	t/interesting.t	/^PARROT_FILES_DESCEND: {$/;"	l
 PARROT_FILES_NODESCEND	t/interesting.t	/^PARROT_FILES_NODESCEND: {$/;"	l
@@ -125,6 +126,7 @@ SINGLE_TEXT_MATCH_ENV	t/ack-env.t	/^SINGLE_TEXT_MATCH_ENV: {$/;"	l
 SINGLE_TEXT_MATCH_NOENV	t/ack-env.t	/^SINGLE_TEXT_MATCH_NOENV: {$/;"	l
 SKIP	t/ack-passthru.t	/^    SKIP: {$/;"	l
 SKIP	t/context.t	/^    SKIP: {$/;"	l
+SKIP	t/file-permission.t	/^SKIP: {$/;"	l
 SPECIFYING_A_BAK_FILE	t/command-line-files.t	/^SPECIFYING_A_BAK_FILE: {$/;"	l
 STANDARD_GROUPING	t/ack-group.t	/^STANDARD_GROUPING: {$/;"	l
 STARTING_POINTS	t/module.t	/^STARTING_POINTS: {$/;"	l