diff --git a/src/backend/ignore.rs b/src/backend/ignore.rs
index 8cb4ef6..65f372e 100644
--- a/src/backend/ignore.rs
+++ b/src/backend/ignore.rs
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ fn map_entry(entry: DirEntry, with_atime: bool, cache: &UsersCache) -> Result<(P
         mtime,
         atime,
         ctime,
-        mode,
+        mode: Some(mode),
         uid: Some(uid),
         gid: Some(gid),
         user,
diff --git a/src/backend/local.rs b/src/backend/local.rs
index 620a022..61068bd 100644
--- a/src/backend/local.rs
+++ b/src/backend/local.rs
@@ -240,8 +240,10 @@ impl LocalBackend {
     pub fn set_permission(&self, item: impl AsRef<Path>, meta: &Metadata) -> Result<()> {
         let filename = self.path.join(item);
 
-        let mode = map_mode_from_go(*meta.mode());
-        std::fs::set_permissions(&filename, fs::Permissions::from_mode(mode))?;
+        if let Some(mode) = meta.mode() {
+            let mode = map_mode_from_go(*mode);
+            std::fs::set_permissions(&filename, fs::Permissions::from_mode(mode))?;
+        }
         Ok(())
     }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/node.rs b/src/backend/node.rs
index 54b3a65..28f1a19 100644
--- a/src/backend/node.rs
+++ b/src/backend/node.rs
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ pub enum NodeType {
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize, Getters)]
 pub struct Metadata {
-    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "is_default")]
-    pub mode: u32,
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub mode: Option<u32>,
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub mtime: Option<DateTime<Local>>,
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]