diff --git a/src/libsync/filesystem.cpp b/src/libsync/filesystem.cpp
index 357cee5b9d13d..042da06df18dc 100644
--- a/src/libsync/filesystem.cpp
+++ b/src/libsync/filesystem.cpp
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@
 
 #include "filesystem.h"
 
-#include <filesystem>
-
 #include "common/utility.h"
 #include <QFile>
 #include <QFileInfo>
@@ -142,31 +140,6 @@ qint64 FileSystem::getSize(const QString &filename)
     return info.size();
 }
 
-QFile::Permissions FileSystem::getPermissions(const QString &filename)
-{
-    using qtStdFilePermissionsMapping = std::pair<QFile::Permission, std::filesystem::perms>;
-    constexpr std::array<qtStdFilePermissionsMapping, 9> qtStdFilePermissionsMappings = {
-        std::make_pair(QFileDevice::ReadOwner, std::filesystem::perms::owner_read),
-        {QFileDevice::WriteOwner, std::filesystem::perms::owner_write},
-        {QFileDevice::ExeOwner, std::filesystem::perms::owner_exec},
-        {QFileDevice::ReadGroup, std::filesystem::perms::group_read},
-        {QFileDevice::WriteGroup, std::filesystem::perms::group_write},
-        {QFileDevice::ExeGroup, std::filesystem::perms::group_exec},
-        {QFileDevice::ReadOther, std::filesystem::perms::others_read},
-        {QFileDevice::WriteOther, std::filesystem::perms::others_write},
-        {QFileDevice::ExeOther, std::filesystem::perms::others_exec}};
-
-    auto fileStatus = std::filesystem::symlink_status(filename.toStdString());
-    auto permissions = fileStatus.permissions();
-
-    QFile::Permissions resultPermissions;
-    for (auto [qtPermissionFlag, stdPermissionFlag] : qtStdFilePermissionsMappings) {
-        auto isPermissionSet = (permissions & stdPermissionFlag) != std::filesystem::perms::none;
-        resultPermissions.setFlag(qtPermissionFlag, isPermissionSet);
-    }
-    return resultPermissions;
-}
-
 // Code inspired from Qt5's QDir::removeRecursively
 bool FileSystem::removeRecursively(const QString &path, const std::function<void(const QString &path, bool isDir)> &onDeleted, QStringList *errors)
 {
diff --git a/src/libsync/filesystem.h b/src/libsync/filesystem.h
index 0cdaaac2dec96..602f74bb7f2bc 100644
--- a/src/libsync/filesystem.h
+++ b/src/libsync/filesystem.h
@@ -63,13 +63,6 @@ namespace FileSystem {
      */
     qint64 OWNCLOUDSYNC_EXPORT getSize(const QString &filename);
 
-    /**
-     * @brief Get permissions for a file
-     *
-     * If the file is a symlink, the permissions for the symlink are returned.
-     */
-    QFile::Permissions OWNCLOUDSYNC_EXPORT getPermissions(const QString &filename);
-
     /**
      * @brief Retrieve a file inode with csync
      */
diff --git a/src/libsync/propagatedownload.cpp b/src/libsync/propagatedownload.cpp
index 6ad074eb71113..f3553da7749f0 100644
--- a/src/libsync/propagatedownload.cpp
+++ b/src/libsync/propagatedownload.cpp
@@ -1220,12 +1220,12 @@ void PropagateDownloadFile::downloadFinished()
 
     auto previousFileExists = FileSystem::fileExists(filename) && _item->_instruction != CSYNC_INSTRUCTION_CASE_CLASH_CONFLICT;
     if (previousFileExists) {
-        // Preserve the existing file permissions.
-        auto previousPermissions = FileSystem::getPermissions(filename);
-        if (previousPermissions != FileSystem::getPermissions(_tmpFile.fileName())) {
-            _tmpFile.setPermissions(previousPermissions);
+        // Preserve the existing file permissions (except it was a symlink)
+        const auto existingFile = QFileInfo{filename};
+        if (!existingFile.isSymLink() && existingFile.permissions() != _tmpFile.permissions()) {
+            _tmpFile.setPermissions(existingFile.permissions());
         }
-        preserveGroupOwnership(_tmpFile.fileName(), QFileInfo(filename));
+        preserveGroupOwnership(_tmpFile.fileName(), existingFile);
 
         // Make the file a hydrated placeholder if possible
         const auto result = propagator()->syncOptions()._vfs->convertToPlaceholder(_tmpFile.fileName(), *_item, filename);