--- cvs-1.11.23/src/login.c
+++ cvs-1.11.23/src/login.c
@@ -325,10 +325,14 @@ internal error: can only call password_entry_operation with pserver method");
     fp = CVS_FOPEN (passfile, "r");
     if (fp == NULL)
     {
+	if (operation != password_entry_add || ENOENT != errno)
 	error (0, errno, "warning: failed to open %s for reading", passfile);
 	goto process;
     }
 
+    /* Utter, total, raving paranoia, I know. */
+    fchmod (fileno (fp), 0600);
+
     /* Check each line to see if we have this entry already. */
     line = 0;
     while ((line_length = getline (&linebuf, &linebuf_len, fp)) >= 0)
@@ -350,9 +354,6 @@ internal error: can only call password_entry_operation with pserver method");
 	error (0, errno, "cannot close %s", passfile);
     fp = NULL;
 
-    /* Utter, total, raving paranoia, I know. */
-    chmod (passfile, 0600);
-
     /* a copy to return or keep around so we can reuse linebuf */
     if (password != NULL)
     {