diff --git a/hgext/record.py b/hgext/record.py
--- a/hgext/record.py
+++ b/hgext/record.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 from mercurial.i18n import gettext, _
 from mercurial import cmdutil, commands, extensions, hg, mdiff, patch
 from mercurial import util
-import copy, cStringIO, errno, os, re, tempfile
+import copy, cStringIO, errno, os, re, shutil, tempfile
 
 lines_re = re.compile(r'@@ -(\d+),(\d+) \+(\d+),(\d+) @@\s*(.*)')
 
@@ -475,6 +475,7 @@ def dorecord(ui, repo, commitfunc, *pats
                 os.close(fd)
                 ui.debug('backup %r as %r\n' % (f, tmpname))
                 util.copyfile(repo.wjoin(f), tmpname)
+                shutil.copystat(repo.wjoin(f), tmpname)
                 backups[f] = tmpname
 
             fp = cStringIO.StringIO()
@@ -521,6 +522,14 @@ def dorecord(ui, repo, commitfunc, *pats
                 for realname, tmpname in backups.iteritems():
                     ui.debug('restoring %r to %r\n' % (tmpname, realname))
                     util.copyfile(tmpname, repo.wjoin(realname))
+                    # Our calls to copystat() here and above are a
+                    # hack to trick any editors that have f open that
+                    # we haven't modified them.
+                    #
+                    # Also note that this racy as an editor could
+                    # notice the file's mtime before we've finished
+                    # writing it.
+                    shutil.copystat(tmpname, repo.wjoin(realname))
                     os.unlink(tmpname)
                 os.rmdir(backupdir)
             except OSError:
diff --git a/mercurial/util.py b/mercurial/util.py
--- a/mercurial/util.py
+++ b/mercurial/util.py
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ def copyfile(src, dest):
     else:
         try:
             shutil.copyfile(src, dest)
-            shutil.copystat(src, dest)
+            shutil.copymode(src, dest)
         except shutil.Error, inst:
             raise Abort(str(inst))