diff --git a/entry.c b/entry.c
index b017167f20..cc6502a548 100644
--- a/entry.c
+++ b/entry.c
@@ -91,6 +91,29 @@ static void *read_blob_entry(struct cache_entry *ce, unsigned long *size)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+static int open_output_fd(char *path, struct cache_entry *ce, int to_tempfile)
+{
+	int symlink = (ce->ce_mode & S_IFMT) != S_IFREG;
+	if (to_tempfile) {
+		strcpy(path, symlink
+		       ? ".merge_link_XXXXXX" : ".merge_file_XXXXXX");
+		return mkstemp(path);
+	} else {
+		return create_file(path, !symlink ? ce->ce_mode : 0666);
+	}
+}
+
+static int fstat_output(int fd, const struct checkout *state, struct stat *st)
+{
+	/* use fstat() only when path == ce->name */
+	if (fstat_is_reliable() &&
+	    state->refresh_cache && !state->base_dir_len) {
+		fstat(fd, st);
+		return 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int write_entry(struct cache_entry *ce, char *path, const struct checkout *state, int to_tempfile)
 {
 	unsigned int ce_mode_s_ifmt = ce->ce_mode & S_IFMT;
@@ -128,17 +151,7 @@ static int write_entry(struct cache_entry *ce, char *path, const struct checkout
 			size = newsize;
 		}
 
-		if (to_tempfile) {
-			if (ce_mode_s_ifmt == S_IFREG)
-				strcpy(path, ".merge_file_XXXXXX");
-			else
-				strcpy(path, ".merge_link_XXXXXX");
-			fd = mkstemp(path);
-		} else if (ce_mode_s_ifmt == S_IFREG) {
-			fd = create_file(path, ce->ce_mode);
-		} else {
-			fd = create_file(path, 0666);
-		}
+		fd = open_output_fd(path, ce, to_tempfile);
 		if (fd < 0) {
 			free(new);
 			return error("unable to create file %s (%s)",
@@ -146,12 +159,8 @@ static int write_entry(struct cache_entry *ce, char *path, const struct checkout
 		}
 
 		wrote = write_in_full(fd, new, size);
-		/* use fstat() only when path == ce->name */
-		if (fstat_is_reliable() &&
-		    state->refresh_cache && !to_tempfile && !state->base_dir_len) {
-			fstat(fd, &st);
-			fstat_done = 1;
-		}
+		if (!to_tempfile)
+			fstat_done = fstat_output(fd, state, &st);
 		close(fd);
 		free(new);
 		if (wrote != size)