diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/unix/fs.rs b/src/libstd/sys/unix/fs.rs
index 3b80b475a93db..38052cbde601a 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/unix/fs.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/unix/fs.rs
@@ -847,7 +847,8 @@ pub fn copy(from: &Path, to: &Path) -> io::Result<u64> {
 #[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android"))]
 pub fn copy(from: &Path, to: &Path) -> io::Result<u64> {
     use crate::cmp;
-    use crate::fs::File;
+    use crate::fs::{File, OpenOptions};
+    use crate::os::unix::fs::{OpenOptionsExt, PermissionsExt};
     use crate::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 
     // Kernel prior to 4.5 don't have copy_file_range
@@ -873,18 +874,35 @@ pub fn copy(from: &Path, to: &Path) -> io::Result<u64> {
         )
     }
 
-    if !from.is_file() {
-        return Err(Error::new(ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
-                              "the source path is not an existing regular file"))
-    }
-
     let mut reader = File::open(from)?;
-    let mut writer = File::create(to)?;
+
     let (perm, len) = {
         let metadata = reader.metadata()?;
-        (metadata.permissions(), metadata.size())
+        if !metadata.is_file() {
+            return Err(Error::new(
+                ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
+                "the source path is not an existing regular file",
+            ));
+        }
+        (metadata.permissions(), metadata.len())
     };
 
+    let mut writer = OpenOptions::new()
+        // create the file with the correct mode right away
+        .mode(perm.mode())
+        .write(true)
+        .create(true)
+        .truncate(true)
+        .open(to)?;
+
+    let writer_metadata = writer.metadata()?;
+    if writer_metadata.is_file() {
+        // Set the correct file permissions, in case the file already existed.
+        // Don't set the permissions on already existing non-files like
+        // pipes/FIFOs or device nodes.
+        writer.set_permissions(perm)?;
+    }
+
     let has_copy_file_range = HAS_COPY_FILE_RANGE.load(Ordering::Relaxed);
     let mut written = 0u64;
     while written < len {
@@ -919,21 +937,20 @@ pub fn copy(from: &Path, to: &Path) -> io::Result<u64> {
                 match err.raw_os_error() {
                     Some(os_err) if os_err == libc::ENOSYS
                                  || os_err == libc::EXDEV
+                                 || os_err == libc::EINVAL
                                  || os_err == libc::EPERM => {
                         // Try fallback io::copy if either:
                         // - Kernel version is < 4.5 (ENOSYS)
                         // - Files are mounted on different fs (EXDEV)
                         // - copy_file_range is disallowed, for example by seccomp (EPERM)
+                        // - copy_file_range cannot be used with pipes or device nodes (EINVAL)
                         assert_eq!(written, 0);
-                        let ret = io::copy(&mut reader, &mut writer)?;
-                        writer.set_permissions(perm)?;
-                        return Ok(ret)
+                        return io::copy(&mut reader, &mut writer);
                     },
                     _ => return Err(err),
                 }
             }
         }
     }
-    writer.set_permissions(perm)?;
     Ok(written)
 }