diff --git a/lib/retry-busy.js b/lib/retry-busy.js
index 8bbe4ad3..03cf8bf1 100644
--- a/lib/retry-busy.js
+++ b/lib/retry-busy.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const codes = new Set(['EMFILE', 'ENFILE', 'EBUSY'])
 const retryBusy = fn => {
   const method = async (path, opt, backoff = 1) => {
     const mbo = opt.maxBackoff || MAXBACKOFF
-    const rate = Math.max(opt.backoff || RATE, RATE)
+    const rate = opt.backoff || RATE
     const max = opt.retries || MAXRETRIES
     let retries = 0
     while (true) {
diff --git a/test/fix-eperm.js b/test/fix-eperm.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..37e87b0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fix-eperm.js
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+const t = require('tap')
+const fs = require('../lib/fs.js')
+
+t.test('works if it works', async t => {
+  const { fixEPERM, fixEPERMSync } = t.mock('../lib/fix-eperm.js', {})
+  const fixed = fixEPERM(() => 1)
+  await fixed().then(n => t.equal(n, 1))
+  const fixedSync = fixEPERMSync(() => 1)
+  t.equal(fixedSync(), 1)
+})
+
+t.test('throw non-EPERM just throws', async t => {
+  const { fixEPERM, fixEPERMSync } = t.mock('../lib/fix-eperm.js', {})
+  const fixed = fixEPERM(() => {
+    throw new Error('oops')
+  })
+  await t.rejects(fixed(), new Error('oops'))
+  const fixedSync = fixEPERMSync(() => {
+    throw new Error('oops')
+  })
+  t.throws(() => fixedSync(), new Error('oops'))
+})
+
+t.test('throw ENOENT returns void', async t => {
+  const er = Object.assign(new Error('no ents'), { code: 'ENOENT' })
+  const { fixEPERM, fixEPERMSync } = t.mock('../lib/fix-eperm.js', {})
+  const fixed = fixEPERM(() => {
+    throw er
+  })
+  await fixed().then(n => t.equal(n, undefined))
+  const fixedSync = fixEPERMSync(() => {
+    throw er
+  })
+  t.equal(fixedSync(), undefined)
+})
+
+t.test('chmod and try again', async t => {
+  const seen = new Set()
+  const finished = new Set()
+  const eperm = Object.assign(new Error('perm'), { code: 'EPERM' })
+  const method = p => {
+    if (!seen.has(p)) {
+      seen.add(p)
+      throw eperm
+    } else {
+      t.equal(chmods.has(p), true)
+      t.equal(finished.has(p), false)
+      finished.add(p)
+    }
+  }
+  const chmods = new Set()
+  const chmodSync = (p, mode) => {
+    t.equal(chmods.has(p), false)
+    chmods.add(p)
+    t.equal(mode, 0o666)
+  }
+  const chmod = async (p, mode) => chmodSync(p, mode)
+  const { fixEPERM, fixEPERMSync } = t.mock('../lib/fix-eperm.js', {
+    '../lib/fs.js': {
+      promises: { chmod },
+      chmodSync,
+    },
+  })
+  const fixed = fixEPERM(method)
+  const fixedSync = fixEPERMSync(method)
+  await fixed('async').then(n => t.equal(n, undefined))
+  t.equal(fixedSync('sync'), undefined)
+  t.equal(chmods.size, 2)
+  t.equal(seen.size, 2)
+  t.equal(finished.size, 2)
+})
+
+t.test('chmod ENOENT is fine, abort', async t => {
+  const seen = new Set()
+  const finished = new Set()
+  const eperm = Object.assign(new Error('perm'), { code: 'EPERM' })
+  const method = p => {
+    if (!seen.has(p)) {
+      seen.add(p)
+      throw eperm
+    } else {
+      t.equal(chmods.has(p), true)
+      t.equal(finished.has(p), false)
+      finished.add(p)
+    }
+  }
+  const chmods = new Set()
+  const chmodSync = (p, mode) => {
+    t.equal(chmods.has(p), false)
+    chmods.add(p)
+    t.equal(mode, 0o666)
+    throw Object.assign(new Error('no ent'), { code: 'ENOENT' })
+  }
+  const chmod = async (p, mode) => chmodSync(p, mode)
+  const { fixEPERM, fixEPERMSync } = t.mock('../lib/fix-eperm.js', {
+    '../lib/fs.js': {
+      promises: { chmod },
+      chmodSync,
+    },
+  })
+  const fixed = fixEPERM(method)
+  const fixedSync = fixEPERMSync(method)
+  await fixed('async').then(n => t.equal(n, undefined))
+  t.equal(fixedSync('sync'), undefined)
+  t.equal(chmods.size, 2)
+  t.equal(seen.size, 2)
+  t.equal(finished.size, 0)
+})
+
+t.test('chmod other than ENOENT is failure', async t => {
+  const seen = new Set()
+  const finished = new Set()
+  const eperm = Object.assign(new Error('perm'), { code: 'EPERM' })
+  const method = p => {
+    if (!seen.has(p)) {
+      seen.add(p)
+      throw eperm
+    } else {
+      t.equal(chmods.has(p), true)
+      t.equal(finished.has(p), false)
+      finished.add(p)
+    }
+  }
+  const chmods = new Set()
+  const chmodSync = (p, mode) => {
+    t.equal(chmods.has(p), false)
+    chmods.add(p)
+    t.equal(mode, 0o666)
+    throw Object.assign(new Error('ent bro'), { code: 'OHNO' })
+  }
+  const chmod = async (p, mode) => chmodSync(p, mode)
+  const { fixEPERM, fixEPERMSync } = t.mock('../lib/fix-eperm.js', {
+    '../lib/fs.js': {
+      promises: { chmod },
+      chmodSync,
+    },
+  })
+  const fixed = fixEPERM(method)
+  const fixedSync = fixEPERMSync(method)
+  t.rejects(fixed('async'), { code: 'EPERM' })
+  t.throws(() => fixedSync('sync'), { code: 'EPERM' })
+  t.equal(chmods.size, 2)
+  t.equal(seen.size, 2)
+  t.equal(finished.size, 0)
+})