diff --git a/pkg/archive/archive_linux.go b/pkg/archive/archive_linux.go
index 2f548b661c..51fbd9a219 100644
--- a/pkg/archive/archive_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/archive/archive_linux.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func (o overlayWhiteoutConverter) ConvertWrite(hdr *tar.Header, path string, fi
 		// we just rename the file and make it normal
 		dir, filename := filepath.Split(hdr.Name)
 		hdr.Name = filepath.Join(dir, WhiteoutPrefix+filename)
-		hdr.Mode = 0600
+		hdr.Mode = 0
 		hdr.Typeflag = tar.TypeReg
 		hdr.Size = 0
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/archive/archive_linux_test.go b/pkg/archive/archive_linux_test.go
index dd2c97ef63..a568094da8 100644
--- a/pkg/archive/archive_linux_test.go
+++ b/pkg/archive/archive_linux_test.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import (
 // ├── d2     # opaque, 0750
 // │   └── f1 # empty file, 0660
 // └── d3     # 0700
-//     └── f1 # whiteout, 0644
+//     └── f1 # whiteout, 0000
 func setupOverlayTestDir(t *testing.T, src string) {
 	// Create opaque directory containing single file and permission 0700
 	err := os.Mkdir(filepath.Join(src, "d1"), 0700)
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func TestOverlayTarAUFSUntar(t *testing.T) {
 	checkFileMode(t, filepath.Join(dst, "d3"), 0700|os.ModeDir)
 	checkFileMode(t, filepath.Join(dst, "d1", "f1"), 0600)
 	checkFileMode(t, filepath.Join(dst, "d2", "f1"), 0660)
-	checkFileMode(t, filepath.Join(dst, "d3", WhiteoutPrefix+"f1"), 0600)
+	checkFileMode(t, filepath.Join(dst, "d3", WhiteoutPrefix+"f1"), 0)
 }
 
 func TestNestedOverlayWhiteouts(t *testing.T) {