diff --git a/UnitTestContrib/test/unit/FileClassTests.pm b/UnitTestContrib/test/unit/FileClassTests.pm
index 6c4d2863bf..c84f257ae3 100644
--- a/UnitTestContrib/test/unit/FileClassTests.pm
+++ b/UnitTestContrib/test/unit/FileClassTests.pm
@@ -5,18 +5,27 @@ use Try::Tiny;
 
 use Foswiki::File;
 
-use File::Temp qw(tempfile);
+use File::Temp qw(tempfile tempdir);
 
 use Foswiki::Class;
 extends qw(FoswikiTestCase);
 
 has tempFile => (
-    is      => 'rw',
+    is      => 'ro',
     lazy    => 1,
     clearer => 1,
     builder => 'prepareTempFile',
 );
 
+# tempSubDir allows for a temporary subdir in tempDir where it would be
+# guaranteed that it is empty.
+has tempSubDir => (
+    is      => 'ro',
+    lazy    => 1,
+    clearer => 1,
+    builder => 'prepareTempSubDir',
+);
+
 around set_up => sub {
     my $orig = shift;
     my $this = shift;
@@ -24,6 +33,7 @@ around set_up => sub {
     $orig->( $this, @_ );
 
     $this->clear_tempFile;
+    $this->clear_tempSubDir;
 };
 
 sub prepareTempFile {
@@ -37,6 +47,17 @@ sub prepareTempFile {
     return $fname;
 }
 
+sub prepareTempSubDir {
+    my $this = shift;
+
+    my $tmpSubDir = File::Temp->newdir(
+        DIR      => $this->tempDir,
+        TEMPLATE => $this->testSuite . '.XXXXXX',
+    );
+
+    return $tmpSubDir;
+}
+
 sub test_read {
     my $this = shift;
 
@@ -81,4 +102,64 @@ EOT
     $this->assert_equals( $testContent, $fobj->content );
 }
 
+sub test_autoCreate {
+    my $this = shift;
+
+    my $newFileName = File::Spec->catfile( $this->tempSubDir, "ANewFile" );
+
+    my $fobj = $this->create(
+        'Foswiki::File',
+        path       => $newFileName,
+        autoCreate => 1,
+    );
+
+    $this->assert_equals( $fobj->stat, undef, "" );
+
+    $fobj->content("Anything");
+    $fobj->flush;
+
+    $this->assert( defined $fobj->stat,
+        "stat attribute must be defined after flush" );
+
+    $this->assert( -e $newFileName, "can't find auto-created file" );
+}
+
+sub test_statOnUnreadable {
+    my $this = shift;
+
+    my $oldMask = umask(0477);
+
+    my $unreadFile = File::Spec->catfile( $this->tempSubDir, "UnreadableFile" );
+
+    $this->assert(
+        open( my $fh, ">", $unreadFile ),
+        "can't create " . $unreadFile . ": " . $!
+    );
+    close $fh;
+
+    umask($oldMask);
+
+    try {
+        $this->assert(
+            !-r $unreadFile,
+            "test code failed: cannot create unreadable file in " . $unreadFile
+        );
+
+        my $fobj = $this->create( "Foswiki::File", path => $unreadFile, );
+        $fobj->stat;
+
+        $this->assert( 0,
+            "File object has been created instead of raising an exception" );
+    }
+    catch {
+        my $e = Foswiki::Exception::Fatal->transmute( $_, 0 );
+        $this->assert( $e->isa('Foswiki::Exception::FileOp'),
+                "wrong exception "
+              . ref($e)
+              . ": Foswiki::Exception::FileOp is excepted" );
+        $this->assert_matches( 'Failed to stat .*: don\'t have read access to ',
+            $e->stringify, "wrong exception text" );
+    };
+}
+
 1;
diff --git a/core/lib/Foswiki/File.pm b/core/lib/Foswiki/File.pm
index 9434e9061d..b89db0a9a5 100644
--- a/core/lib/Foswiki/File.pm
+++ b/core/lib/Foswiki/File.pm
@@ -278,6 +278,7 @@ sub flush {
           or $this->throwFileOp( op => "write", );
 
         $this->modified(0);
+        $this->clear_stat;
     }
     catch {
         $this->exception( Foswiki::Exception::Fatal->transmute( $_, 0 ) );
@@ -319,12 +320,12 @@ sub prepareStat {
 
     my $path = $this->path;
 
-    unless ( -r $path ) {
+    if ( ( -e $path || !$this->autoCreate ) && !-r $path ) {
         $this->exception(
             $this->_createException(
                 exception => 'Foswiki::Exception::FileOp',
-                text => "Don't have read access to " . $path . ", cannot stat",
-                op   => "stat",
+                text      => "don't have read access to " . $path,
+                op        => "stat",
             )
         );
         return undef;