diff --git a/template.go b/template.go
index 7f5e6688f..dcb2c8b17 100644
--- a/template.go
+++ b/template.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ func gatherTemplates(o *Config) (templates []*tplate, err error) {
 		templates = []*tplate{{
 			name:     "<arg>",
 			contents: o.Input,
+			mode:     os.FileMode(0644),
 		}}
 
 		if len(o.OutputFiles) == 1 {
diff --git a/template_test.go b/template_test.go
index a58b0e224..721ba4a5c 100644
--- a/template_test.go
+++ b/template_test.go
@@ -159,6 +159,15 @@ func TestGatherTemplates(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "foo", templates[0].contents)
 	assert.Equal(t, Stdout, templates[0].target)
 
+	templates, err = gatherTemplates(&Config{
+		Input:       "foo",
+		OutputFiles: []string{"out"},
+	})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Len(t, templates, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "out", templates[0].targetPath)
+	assert.Equal(t, os.FileMode(0644), templates[0].mode)
+
 	templates, err = gatherTemplates(&Config{
 		InputFiles:  []string{"foo"},
 		OutputFiles: []string{"out"},