diff --git a/Mmakefile b/Mmakefile
index 3b0dc4962..b119d9808 100644
--- a/Mmakefile
+++ b/Mmakefile
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ tar: README INSTALL
 	-rm -f config.status config.cache config.log configure.log
 	-rm -f runtime/mercury_conf.h boehm_gc/mercury_boehm_gc_conf.h
 	-rm -f Mmake.common
+	chmod -R a+r *
 	# Package up the mercury directory with some subdirectories
 	# excluded, into a gzipped tar archive that will unpack into
 	# mercury-compiler-$(VERSION).