2 files changed, 5 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index effb2a3038a..4ff65b16c6d 100644
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 2011-03-07  Glenn Morris  <rgm@gnu.org>
 
         * vc/vc.el (vc-next-action): Add missing space to y-or-n-p prompt.
+        Give an explicit error if failed to make writable.  (Bug#6146)
 
 2011-03-07  Ed Reingold  <reingold@emr.cs.iit.edu>
 
diff --git a/lisp/vc/vc.el b/lisp/vc/vc.el
index 2fb397ed6f8..7f55ffdbdad 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/vc.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/vc.el
@@ -1117,7 +1117,10 @@ merge in the changes into your working copy."
             ;; Make the file+buffer read-write.
             (unless (y-or-n-p (format "%s is edited but read-only; make it writable and continue? " file))
               (error "Aborted"))
-            (set-file-modes file (logior (file-modes file) 128))
+            ;; Maybe we somehow lost permissions on the directory.
+            (condition-case nil
+                (set-file-modes file (logior (file-modes file) 128))
+              (error (error "Unable to make file writable")))
             (let ((visited (get-file-buffer file)))
               (when visited
                 (with-current-buffer visited