diff --git a/files.c b/files.c
index 5e2df38c..09d623bc 100644
--- a/files.c
+++ b/files.c
@@ -334,13 +334,18 @@ int write_file(char *name, int tmp)
        statement below (that starts "if ((!ISSET(FOLLOW_SYMLINKS)...")
        to reflect whether or not to link/unlink/rename the file */
     else if (ISSET(FOLLOW_SYMLINKS) || !S_ISLNK(lst.st_mode) || tmp) {
-
 	/* Use O_EXCL if tmp == 1.  This is now copied from joe, because
-	   wiggy says so *shrug* */
-	if (tmp)
-	    fd = open(realname, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, (S_IRUSR|S_IWUSR));
-	else
-	    fd = open(realname, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC, (S_IRUSR|S_IWUSR));
+	   wiggy says so *shrug*.  We also put back the append check,
+	   which we used to have, forever ago */
+	if (tmp) {
+	    if ((fd = open(realname, (O_WRONLY|O_APPEND|O_NOFOLLOW))) != -1)
+		fd = open(realname, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, 
+			(S_IRUSR|S_IWUSR));
+	} else {
+	    if ((fd = open(realname, (O_WRONLY|O_APPEND))) != -1)
+	 	fd = open(realname, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC,
+			(S_IRUSR|S_IWUSR));
+	}
 
 	/* First, just give up if we couldn't even open the file */
 	if (fd == -1) {