diff -r f39895c55699 Lib/test/test_os.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_os.py	Fri Jul 20 19:50:41 2012 -0500
+++ b/Lib/test/test_os.py	Sat Jul 21 15:43:36 2012 +0900
@@ -1533,6 +1533,31 @@
             os.remove(file1)
             shutil.rmtree(level1)
 
+    def test_chmod_link(self):
+        TESTFN2 = support.TESTFN+"_link"
+        
+        def cleanup():
+            if os.path.exists(TESTFN2):
+                os.chmod(TESTFN2, 0o100666)
+                os.unlink(TESTFN2)
+        
+            if os.path.exists(support.TESTFN):
+                os.chmod(support.TESTFN, 0o666)
+                os.unlink(support.TESTFN)
+                
+        cleanup()
+        
+        open(support.TESTFN, "w").close()
+        try:
+            os.symlink(support.TESTFN, TESTFN2) 
+            os.chmod(TESTFN2, 0o444)
+            self.assertEqual(os.stat(TESTFN2).st_mode & 0o777, 0o444)
+
+            os.chmod(TESTFN2, 0o666)
+            self.assertEqual(os.stat(support.TESTFN).st_mode & 0o777, 0o666)
+        finally:
+            cleanup()
+
 
 class FSEncodingTests(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_nop(self):
diff -r f39895c55699 Modules/posixmodule.c
--- a/Modules/posixmodule.c	Fri Jul 20 19:50:41 2012 -0500
+++ b/Modules/posixmodule.c	Sat Jul 21 15:43:36 2012 +0900
@@ -1396,6 +1396,7 @@
     int st_mtime_nsec;
     time_t st_ctime;
     int st_ctime_nsec;
+    DWORD file_attribute;
 };
 
 static __int64 secs_between_epochs = 11644473600; /* Seconds between 1.1.1601 and 1.1.1970 */
@@ -1445,6 +1446,7 @@
 attribute_data_to_stat(BY_HANDLE_FILE_INFORMATION *info, ULONG reparse_tag, struct win32_stat *result)
 {
     memset(result, 0, sizeof(*result));
+    result->file_attribute = info->dwFileAttributes;
     result->st_mode = attributes_to_mode(info->dwFileAttributes);
     result->st_size = (((__int64)info->nFileSizeHigh)<<32) + info->nFileSizeLow;
     FILE_TIME_to_time_t_nsec(&info->ftCreationTime, &result->st_ctime, &result->st_ctime_nsec);
@@ -1573,7 +1575,7 @@
 
 static int
 win32_xstat_impl_w(const wchar_t *path, struct win32_stat *result,
-                   BOOL traverse);
+                   wchar_t **finalpath, BOOL traverse);
 static int
 win32_xstat_impl(const char *path, struct win32_stat *result,
                  BOOL traverse)
@@ -1582,7 +1584,7 @@
     HANDLE hFile, hFile2;
     BY_HANDLE_FILE_INFORMATION info;
     ULONG reparse_tag = 0;
-    wchar_t *target_path;
+    wchar_t *target_path, *finalpath = NULL;
     const char *dot;
 
     if(!check_GetFinalPathNameByHandle()) {
@@ -1651,8 +1653,11 @@
                 if (!get_target_path(hFile2, &target_path))
                     return -1;
 
-                code = win32_xstat_impl_w(target_path, result, FALSE);
+                finalpath = NULL;
+                code = win32_xstat_impl_w(target_path, result, &finalpath, FALSE);
                 free(target_path);
+                free(finalpath);
+
                 return code;
             }
         } else
@@ -1672,7 +1677,7 @@
 
 static int
 win32_xstat_impl_w(const wchar_t *path, struct win32_stat *result,
-                   BOOL traverse)
+                   wchar_t **finalpath, BOOL traverse)
 {
     int code;
     HANDLE hFile, hFile2;
@@ -1681,6 +1686,7 @@
     wchar_t *target_path;
     const wchar_t *dot;
 
+    *finalpath = NULL;
     if(!check_GetFinalPathNameByHandle()) {
         /* If the OS doesn't have GetFinalPathNameByHandle, don't
            traverse reparse point. */
@@ -1747,7 +1753,7 @@
                 if (!get_target_path(hFile2, &target_path))
                     return -1;
 
-                code = win32_xstat_impl_w(target_path, result, FALSE);
+                code = win32_xstat_impl_w(target_path, result, finalpath, FALSE);
                 free(target_path);
                 return code;
             }
@@ -1763,6 +1769,7 @@
             _wcsicmp(dot, L".exe") == 0 || _wcsicmp(dot, L".com") == 0)
             result->st_mode |= 0111;
     }
+    *finalpath = wcsdup(path);
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1779,9 +1786,11 @@
 static int
 win32_xstat_w(const wchar_t *path, struct win32_stat *result, BOOL traverse)
 {
+    wchar_t *finalpath = NULL;
     /* Protocol violation: we explicitly clear errno, instead of
        setting it to a POSIX error. Callers should use GetLastError. */
-    int code = win32_xstat_impl_w(path, result, traverse);
+    int code = win32_xstat_impl_w(path, result, &finalpath, traverse);
+    free(finalpath);
     errno = 0;
     return code;
 }
@@ -2625,7 +2634,8 @@
     int mode;
     int dir_fd = DEFAULT_DIR_FD;
     int follow_symlinks = 1;
-    int result;
+    int result, xstat_result;
+    wchar_t *finalpath = NULL;
     PyObject *return_value = NULL;
     static char *keywords[] = {"path", "mode", "dir_fd",
                                "follow_symlinks", NULL};
@@ -2659,24 +2669,54 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef MS_WINDOWS
-    Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
-    if (path.wide)
-        attr = GetFileAttributesW(path.wide);
-    else
-        attr = GetFileAttributesA(path.narrow);
-    if (attr == 0xFFFFFFFF)
-        result = 0;
+    if (path.wide && follow_symlinks) {
+        struct win32_stat st;
+
+        Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
+    
+        xstat_result = win32_xstat_impl_w(path.wide, &st,
+                           &finalpath, TRUE);
+        if (!xstat_result) {
+            attr = st.file_attribute;
+            if (attr == 0xFFFFFFFF)
+                result = 0;
+            else {
+                if (mode & _S_IWRITE)
+                    attr &= ~FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY;
+                else
+                    attr |= FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY;
+                result = SetFileAttributesW(finalpath, attr);
+            }
+            free(finalpath);
+        }
+        Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+
+        if (xstat_result) {
+            return_value = win32_error_object("chmod", path.object);
+            goto exit;
+        }
+    }
     else {
-        if (mode & _S_IWRITE)
-            attr &= ~FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY;
+        Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
+
+        if (path.wide)
+            attr = GetFileAttributesW(path.wide);
         else
-            attr |= FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY;
-        if (path.wide)
-            result = SetFileAttributesW(path.wide, attr);
-        else
-            result = SetFileAttributesA(path.narrow, attr);
-    }
-    Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+            attr = GetFileAttributesA(path.narrow);
+        if (attr == 0xFFFFFFFF)
+            result = 0;
+        else {
+            if (mode & _S_IWRITE)
+                attr &= ~FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY;
+            else
+                attr |= FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY;
+            if (path.wide)
+                result = SetFileAttributesW(path.wide, attr);
+            else
+                result = SetFileAttributesA(path.narrow, attr);
+        }
+        Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+    }
 
     if (!result) {
         return_value = win32_error_object("chmod", path.object);