diff --git a/mercurial/pathutil.py b/mercurial/pathutil.py
--- a/mercurial/pathutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/pathutil.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class pathauditor(object):
         else:
             self.normcase = lambda x: x
 
-    def __call__(self, path):
+    def __call__(self, path, mode=None):
         '''Check the relative path.
         path may contain a pattern (e.g. foodir/**.txt)'''
 
diff --git a/mercurial/vfs.py b/mercurial/vfs.py
--- a/mercurial/vfs.py
+++ b/mercurial/vfs.py
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ class vfs(abstractvfs):
         if audit:
             self.audit = pathutil.pathauditor(self.base)
         else:
-            self.audit = util.always
+            self.audit = (lambda path, mode=None: True)
         self.createmode = None
         self._trustnlink = None
 
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ class vfs(abstractvfs):
                 r = util.checkosfilename(path)
                 if r:
                     raise error.Abort("%s: %r" % (r, path))
-            self.audit(path)
+            self.audit(path, mode=mode)
         f = self.join(path)
 
         if not text and "b" not in mode: