diff --git a/mysql-test/lib/My/File/Path.pm b/mysql-test/lib/My/File/Path.pm
index eeb7546b0b8..7ef1211ff52 100644
--- a/mysql-test/lib/My/File/Path.pm
+++ b/mysql-test/lib/My/File/Path.pm
@@ -92,9 +92,16 @@ sub mkpath {
 
 
 sub copytree {
-  my ($from_dir, $to_dir) = @_;
+  my ($from_dir, $to_dir, $use_umask) = @_;
 
-  die "Usage: copytree(<fromdir>, <todir>" unless @_ == 2;
+  die "Usage: copytree(<fromdir>, <todir>, [<umask>])"
+    unless @_ == 2 or @_ == 3;
+
+  my $orig_umask;
+  if ($use_umask){
+    # Set new umask and remember the original
+    $orig_umask= umask(oct($use_umask));
+  }
 
   mkpath("$to_dir");
   opendir(DIR, "$from_dir")
@@ -114,6 +121,11 @@ sub copytree {
     copy("$from_dir/$_", "$to_dir/$_");
   }
   closedir(DIR);
+
+  if ($orig_umask){
+    # Set the original umask
+    umask($orig_umask);
+  }
 }
 
 1;
diff --git a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
index 049dbb4aceb..87aa2f48daf 100755
--- a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
+++ b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
@@ -1981,8 +1981,8 @@ sub setup_vardir() {
   }
 
   # copy all files from std_data into var/std_data
-  # and make them writable
-  copytree("$glob_mysql_test_dir/std_data", "$opt_vardir/std_data");
+  # and make them world readable
+  copytree("$glob_mysql_test_dir/std_data", "$opt_vardir/std_data", "0022");
 
   # Remove old log files
   foreach my $name (glob("r/*.progress r/*.log r/*.warnings"))