diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index d99016f94..477a0be63 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -100,8 +100,7 @@
        ===================================================================
   -->
   <property name="debug" value="true"/>
-  <property name="chmod.fail" value="true"/>
-  <property name="chmod.maxparallel" value="250"/>
+  <property name="setpermissions.fail" value="true"/>
   <property name="deprecation" value="false"/>
   <property name="optimize" value="true"/>
   <property name="javac.target" value="1.8"/>
@@ -914,18 +913,20 @@
       <include name="*.pl"/>
     </fixcrlf>
 
-    <chmod perm="ugo+rx" dir="${dist.dir}" type="dir" includes="**"
-      failonerror="${chmod.fail}"/>
-    <chmod perm="ugo+r" dir="${dist.dir}" type="file" includes="**"
-      failonerror="${chmod.fail}" maxparallel="${chmod.maxparallel}"/>
-    <chmod perm="ugo+x" type="file" failonerror="${chmod.fail}">
+    <setpermissions mode="755" failonerror="${setpermissions.fail}">
+      <dirset dir="${dist.dir}"/>
+    </setpermissions>
+    <setpermissions mode="644" failonerror="${setpermissions.fail}">
+      <fileset dir="${dist.dir}"/>
+    </setpermissions>
+    <setpermissions mode="755" failonerror="${setpermissions.fail}">
       <fileset dir="${dist.bin}">
         <include name="**/ant"/>
         <include name="**/antRun"/>
         <include name="**/*.pl"/>
         <include name="**/*.py"/>
       </fileset>
-    </chmod>
+    </setpermissions>
 
   </target>
 
@@ -1026,18 +1027,20 @@
       </fileset>
     </copy>
 
-    <chmod perm="ugo+rx" dir="${dist.dir}" type="dir" includes="**"
-      failonerror="${chmod.fail}"/>
-    <chmod perm="ugo+r" dir="${dist.dir}" type="file" includes="**"
-      failonerror="${chmod.fail}" maxparallel="${chmod.maxparallel}"/>
-    <chmod perm="ugo+x" type="file" failonerror="${chmod.fail}">
+    <setpermissions mode="755" failonerror="${setpermissions.fail}">
+      <dirset dir="${dist.dir}"/>
+    </setpermissions>
+    <setpermissions mode="644" failonerror="${setpermissions.fail}">
+      <fileset dir="${dist.dir}"/>
+    </setpermissions>
+    <setpermissions mode="755" failonerror="${setpermissions.fail}">
       <fileset dir="${dist.bin}">
         <include name="**/ant"/>
         <include name="**/antRun"/>
         <include name="**/*.pl"/>
         <include name="**/*.py"/>
       </fileset>
-    </chmod>
+    </setpermissions>
 
     <!-- publish some useful stylesheets -->
     <copy todir="${dist.etc}">
@@ -1144,18 +1147,21 @@
       <exclude name="${tests.etc.dir}/taskdefs/fixcrlf/input/Junk?.java"/>
     </fixcrlf>
 
-    <chmod perm="ugo+x" dir="${src.dist.dir}" type="dir"
-      failonerror="${chmod.fail}"/>
-    <chmod perm="ugo+r" dir="${src.dist.dir}" failonerror="${chmod.fail}"/>
-    <chmod perm="ugo+x" failonerror="${chmod.fail}">
+    <setpermissions mode="755" failonerror="${setpermissions.fail}">
+      <dirset dir="${src.dist.dir}"/>
+    </setpermissions>
+    <setpermissions mode="644" failonerror="${setpermissions.fail}">
+      <fileset dir="${src.dist.dir}"/>
+    </setpermissions>
+    <setpermissions mode="755" failonerror="${setpermissions.fail}">
       <fileset dir="${src.dist.dir}">
-        <include name="**/.sh"/>
-        <include name="**/.pl"/>
-        <include name="**/.py"/>
+        <include name="**/*.sh"/>
+        <include name="**/*.pl"/>
+        <include name="**/*.py"/>
         <include name="**/ant"/>
         <include name="**/antRun"/>
       </fileset>
-    </chmod>
+    </setpermissions>
 
   </target>
 
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/copy-test.xml b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/copy-test.xml
index 51c6277c1..05e947c63 100644
--- a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/copy-test.xml
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/copy-test.xml
@@ -312,13 +312,10 @@ public class NullByteStreamResource extends Resource {
     <mkdir dir="${input}"/>
     <touch file="${output}/${file}"/>
   </target>
-  <target name="makeFileUnwritable"
-          depends="createTestdir,makeFileUnwritable-Unix,makeFileUnwritable-Windows"/>
-  <target name="makeFileUnwritable-Unix" id="unix">
-    <chmod file="${output}/${file}" perm="444"/>
-  </target>
-  <target name="makeFileUnwritable-Windows" unless="unix">
-    <attrib file="${output}/${file}" readonly="true"/>
+  <target name="makeFileUnwritable" depends="createTestdir">
+    <setpermissions mode="444">
+      <file file="${output}/${file}"/>
+    </setpermissions>
   </target>
 
   <target name="testCopyOverReadOnlyFile" depends="makeFileUnwritable">
@@ -453,14 +450,9 @@ public class NullByteStreamResource extends Resource {
     <mkdir dir="${output}"/>
     <touch file="${input}/somefile"/>
     <touch file="${output}/somefile"/>
-    <exec executable="chmod" osfamily="unix">
-      <arg value="-w"/>
-      <arg file="${output}/somefile"/>
-    </exec>
-    <exec executable="attrib" osfamily="dos">
-      <arg value="+r"/>
-      <arg file="${output}/somefile"/>
-    </exec>
+    <setpermissions mode="444">
+      <file file="${output}/somefile"/>
+    </setpermissions>
     <au:expectfailure>
       <copy todir="${output}" file="${input}/somefile"
             overwrite="true"/>
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/move-test.xml b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/move-test.xml
index 9acac7493..bc29aa454 100644
--- a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/move-test.xml
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/move-test.xml
@@ -134,13 +134,10 @@
     <mkdir dir="${input}"/>
     <touch file="${output}/${file}"/>
   </target>
-  <target name="makeFileUnwritable"
-          depends="createTestdir,makeFileUnwritable-Unix,makeFileUnwritable-Windows"/>
-  <target name="makeFileUnwritable-Unix" id="unix">
-    <chmod file="${output}/${file}" perm="444"/>
-  </target>
-  <target name="makeFileUnwritable-Windows" unless="unix">
-    <attrib file="${output}/${file}" readonly="true"/>
+  <target name="makeFileUnwritable" depends="createTestdir">
+    <setpermissions mode="444">
+      <file file="${output}/${file}"/>
+    </setpermissions>
   </target>
 
   <target name="testMoveOverReadOnlyFile" depends="makeFileUnwritable">
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/types/resources/selectors/readwrite-test.xml b/src/tests/antunit/types/resources/selectors/readwrite-test.xml
index 6a0301bac..dfe2d7047 100644
--- a/src/tests/antunit/types/resources/selectors/readwrite-test.xml
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/types/resources/selectors/readwrite-test.xml
@@ -70,13 +70,10 @@
     </au:assertTrue>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="makeFileUnwritable"
-          depends="createTestdir,makeFileUnwritable-Unix,makeFileUnwritable-Windows"/>
-  <target name="makeFileUnwritable-Unix" id="unix">
-    <chmod file="${output}/${file}" perm="444"/>
-  </target>
-  <target name="makeFileUnwritable-Windows" unless="unix">
-    <attrib file="${output}/${file}" readonly="true"/>
+  <target name="makeFileUnwritable" depends="createTestdir">
+    <setpermissions mode="444">
+      <file file="${output}/${file}"/>
+    </setpermissions>
   </target>
 
   <target name="testUnwritable" depends="makeFileUnwritable">
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/types/selectors/executable-test.xml b/src/tests/antunit/types/selectors/executable-test.xml
index c78b5b144..4eb878537 100644
--- a/src/tests/antunit/types/selectors/executable-test.xml
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/types/selectors/executable-test.xml
@@ -47,13 +47,10 @@
     </au:assertTrue>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="makeFileExecutable"
-          depends="createTestdir,makeFileExecutable-Unix,makeFileExecutable-Windows"/>
-  <target name="makeFileExecutable-Unix" if="unix">
-    <chmod file="${output}/${file}" perm="755"/>
-  </target>
-  <target name="makeFileExecutable-Windows" unless="unix">
-    <!-- no idea how to do this -->
+  <target name="makeFileExecutable" depends="createTestdir">
+    <setpermissions mode="755">
+      <file file="${output}/${file}"/>
+    </setpermissions>
   </target>
 
   <target name="testNotexecutable" depends="createTestdir" if="unix">
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/types/selectors/readwrite-test.xml b/src/tests/antunit/types/selectors/readwrite-test.xml
index ac27519f9..f81518abb 100644
--- a/src/tests/antunit/types/selectors/readwrite-test.xml
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/types/selectors/readwrite-test.xml
@@ -64,13 +64,10 @@
     </au:assertTrue>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="makeFileUnwritable"
-          depends="createTestdir,makeFileUnwritable-Unix,makeFileUnwritable-Windows"/>
-  <target name="makeFileUnwritable-Unix" if="unix">
-    <chmod file="${output}/${file}" perm="444"/>
-  </target>
-  <target name="makeFileUnwritable-Windows" unless="unix">
-    <attrib file="${output}/${file}" readonly="true"/>
+  <target name="makeFileUnwritable" depends="createTestdir">
+    <setpermissions mode="444">
+      <file file="${output}/${file}"/>
+    </setpermissions>
   </target>
 
   <target name="testUnwritable" depends="makeFileUnwritable">