diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/2685-ashish-amarnath b/changelogs/unreleased/2685-ashish-amarnath
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..18ea0ce1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/2685-ashish-amarnath
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+update file permissions on JSON manifests in the backup archive
diff --git a/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go b/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go
index e2652abca..03b618ddf 100644
--- a/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go
+++ b/pkg/backup/item_backupper.go
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ func (ib *itemBackupper) backupItem(logger logrus.FieldLogger, obj runtime.Unstr
 			Name:     filePath,
 			Size:     int64(len(itemBytes)),
 			Typeflag: tar.TypeReg,
-			Mode:     0755,
+			Mode:     0644,
 			ModTime:  time.Now(),
 		}