diff --git a/git/util.py b/git/util.py
index 8e77533fb..46891ec30 100644
--- a/git/util.py
+++ b/git/util.py
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ def rmfile(path: PathLike) -> None:
     treatment."""
     if osp.isfile(path):
         if sys.platform == "win32":
-            os.chmod(path, 0o777)
+            os.chmod(path, stat.S_IWUSR)
         os.remove(path)
 
 
diff --git a/test/test_util.py b/test/test_util.py
index bfde35aea..ab233feeb 100644
--- a/test/test_util.py
+++ b/test/test_util.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     is_cygwin_git,
     join_path,
     remove_password_if_present,
+    rmfile,
     rmtree,
     stream_copy,
 )
@@ -213,6 +214,21 @@ def preen_dir2():
         assert old_mode == new_mode, f"Should stay {old_mode:#o}, became {new_mode:#o}."
 
 
+class TestRmfile:
+    """Tests for :func:`git.util.rmfile`."""
+
+    def test_deletes_readonly_file(self):
+        # Automatically works on Unix, but requires special handling on Windows.
+        with writable_fixture("rmfile.sh") as temporary:
+            file = temporary.path().resolve() / "readonly"
+            # rmfile ignores missing paths, so check that the fixture made a read-only file.
+            assert file.is_file()
+            assert not file.stat().st_mode & stat.S_IWUSR
+
+            rmfile(file)
+            assert not file.exists()
+
+
 def _xfail_param(*values, **xfail_kwargs):
     """Build a pytest.mark.parametrize parameter that carries an xfail mark."""
     return pytest.param(*values, marks=pytest.mark.xfail(**xfail_kwargs))
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/rmfile.sh b/tests/fixtures/rmfile.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..147315e3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/rmfile.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -eu
+touch readonly
+chmod a-w readonly