diff --git a/howdy-gtk/meson.build b/howdy-gtk/meson.build
index 100a06cd..c8207999 100644
--- a/howdy-gtk/meson.build
+++ b/howdy-gtk/meson.build
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ if get_option('install_in_site_packages')
         sources,
         py_paths,
         subdir: 'howdy-gtk',
-        install_mode: 'r--r--r--',
         install_tag: 'py_sources',
     )
 else
@@ -79,4 +78,4 @@ install_data(
   install_mode: 'rwxr-xr-x',
   install_dir: get_option('prefix') / get_option('bindir'),
   install_tag: 'bin',
-)
\ No newline at end of file
+)
diff --git a/howdy/src/meson.build b/howdy/src/meson.build
index c88a1943..2cff83af 100644
--- a/howdy/src/meson.build
+++ b/howdy/src/meson.build
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ if get_option('install_in_site_packages')
         py_sources,
         subdir: 'howdy',
         preserve_path: true,
-        install_mode: 'r--r--r--',
         install_tag: 'py_sources',
     )
 else
@@ -167,4 +166,4 @@ install_data(
   install_mode: 'rwxr-xr-x',
   install_dir: get_option('bindir'),
   install_tag: 'bin',
-)
\ No newline at end of file
+)