diff --git a/tests/test_atomic_write_text_metadata.py b/tests/test_atomic_write_text_metadata.py
index 8907323ae1..701fbb635c 100644
--- a/tests/test_atomic_write_text_metadata.py
+++ b/tests/test_atomic_write_text_metadata.py
@@ -138,6 +138,33 @@ class TestCreateMode:
 
         assert stat.S_IMODE(target.stat().st_mode) == 0o600
 
+    def test_create_mode_never_rewrites_an_existing_file(
+        self, tmp_path: Path
+    ) -> None:
+        """create_mode without preserve_mode must not chmod an existing file."""
+        target = tmp_path / "notes.md"
+        target.write_text("old\n", encoding="utf-8")
+        os.chmod(target, 0o640)
+
+        atomic_write_text(target, "new\n", create_mode=0o644)
+
+        # The write is a plain (non-preserving) atomic rewrite: mkstemp 0600.
+        assert stat.S_IMODE(target.stat().st_mode) == 0o600
+
+    def test_windows_fallback_branch_applies_mode_after_replace(
+        self, tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+    ) -> None:
+        """Without os.fchmod (Windows), the mode is applied post-replace."""
+        target = tmp_path / "config.yaml"
+        target.write_text("old\n", encoding="utf-8")
+        os.chmod(target, 0o640)
+
+        monkeypatch.delattr(os, "fchmod")
+        atomic_write_text(target, "new\n", preserve_mode=True)
+
+        assert target.read_text(encoding="utf-8") == "new\n"
+        assert stat.S_IMODE(target.stat().st_mode) == 0o640
+
     def test_atomic_yaml_write_create_mode(self, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
         """write_manifest's create path: new file lands 0644, not 0600."""
         target = tmp_path / "distribution.yaml"
diff --git a/utils.py b/utils.py
index 69d5fa5666..66d2f82be5 100644
--- a/utils.py
+++ b/utils.py
@@ -165,25 +165,28 @@ def atomic_write_text(
             default: the historical callers (memory store, skill manager,
             cron) own their 0600-is-fine files.
         create_mode: Permission bits to apply when the target does not yet
-            exist (otherwise the new file keeps mkstemp's 0600).  Ignored
-            when ``preserve_mode`` found an existing mode to carry over.
+            exist (otherwise the new file keeps mkstemp's 0600).  Never
+            applied to an existing file.
     """
     path = Path(path)
     path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
     original_mode = _preserve_file_mode(path) if preserve_mode else None
     original_owner = _preserve_file_owner(path) if preserve_mode else None
-    effective_mode = original_mode if original_mode is not None else create_mode
+    effective_mode = original_mode
+    if effective_mode is None and create_mode is not None and not path.exists():
+        effective_mode = create_mode
 
     fd, tmp_path = tempfile.mkstemp(
         dir=str(path.parent), prefix=tmp_prefix, suffix=".tmp"
     )
     try:
-        if effective_mode is not None and hasattr(os, "fchmod"):
-            # fchmod is Unix-only; on Windows the post-replace chmod below
-            # applies the final mode instead.
-            os.fchmod(fd, effective_mode)
         with os.fdopen(fd, "w", encoding=encoding) as handle:
+            if effective_mode is not None and hasattr(os, "fchmod"):
+                # fchmod the temp fd BEFORE the replace so the target never
+                # transits through mkstemp's 0600. fchmod is Unix-only; on
+                # Windows the post-replace chmod below applies the mode.
+                os.fchmod(handle.fileno(), effective_mode)
             handle.write(content)
             handle.flush()
             os.fsync(handle.fileno())
@@ -352,15 +355,15 @@ def atomic_yaml_write(
         extra_content: Optional string to append after the YAML dump
             (e.g. commented-out sections for user reference).
         create_mode: Permission bits to apply when the target does not yet
-            exist (a created file otherwise keeps mkstemp's 0600).  An
-            existing file's mode is always preserved and wins over this.
+            exist (a created file otherwise keeps mkstemp's 0600).  Never
+            applied to an existing file, whose mode is always preserved.
     """
     path = Path(path)
     path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
     original_mode = _preserve_file_mode(path)
     original_owner = _preserve_file_owner(path)
-    if original_mode is None:
+    if original_mode is None and create_mode is not None and not path.exists():
         original_mode = create_mode
 
     fd, tmp_path = tempfile.mkstemp(
@@ -370,6 +373,12 @@ def atomic_yaml_write(
     )
     try:
         with os.fdopen(fd, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+            if original_mode is not None and hasattr(os, "fchmod"):
+                # Apply the mode to the temp fd BEFORE the replace so the
+                # target never transits through mkstemp's 0600 (the
+                # post-replace _restore_file_mode below then re-applies it
+                # harmlessly, and remains the sole path on Windows).
+                os.fchmod(f.fileno(), original_mode)
             # allow_unicode=True writes emoji/kaomoji (e.g. personalities, skin
             # cursors) as real UTF-8 instead of fragile escape sequences. Without
             # it, PyYAML emits astral-plane chars as `\UXXXXXXXX` (8-digit) escapes