diff --git a/src/response.c b/src/response.c
index 03030d69..f0399c64 100644
--- a/src/response.c
+++ b/src/response.c
@@ -414,24 +414,6 @@ handler_t http_response_prepare(server *srv, connection *con) {
 
 
 			}
-
-			/* can we read the file ? */
-			if (!(sce->st.st_mode & S_IROTH) &&
-			    !(srv->gid == sce->st.st_gid && 
-			      sce->st.st_mode & S_IRGRP) &&
-			    !(srv->uid == sce->st.st_uid &&
-			      sce->st.st_mode & S_IRUSR)) {
-
-				con->http_status = 403;
-	
-				if (con->conf.log_request_handling) {
-					log_error_write(srv, __FILE__, __LINE__,  "s",  "-- access denied");
-					log_error_write(srv, __FILE__, __LINE__,  "sb", "Path         :", con->physical.path);
-				}
-			
-				buffer_reset(con->physical.path);
-				return HANDLER_FINISHED;
-			}	
 		} else {
 			switch (errno) {
 			case EACCES:
diff --git a/src/stat_cache.c b/src/stat_cache.c
index b428aad0..33645a0f 100644
--- a/src/stat_cache.c
+++ b/src/stat_cache.c
@@ -420,10 +420,20 @@ handler_t stat_cache_get_entry(server *srv, connection *con, buffer *name, stat_
 		/* stat() failed, ENOENT, ... and so on */
 		return HANDLER_ERROR;
 	}
+
 	
 	if (S_ISREG(st.st_mode) || S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
 		size_t k;
-	
+
+		if (S_ISREG(st.st_mode)) {
+			int fd;
+			/* see if we can open the file for reading */
+			if (-1 == (fd = open(name->ptr, O_RDONLY))) {
+				return HANDLER_ERROR;
+			}
+			close(fd);
+		}
+
 		if (NULL == sce) {
 			int osize = 0;