diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4f3c2ef0e..e29e4493a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ You can fix that by registering APE with `binfmt_misc`:
 
 ```sh
 sudo wget -O /usr/bin/ape https://cosmo.zip/pub/cosmos/bin/ape-$(uname -m).elf
+sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/ape
 sudo sh -c "echo ':APE:M::MZqFpD::/usr/bin/ape:' >/proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/register"
 sudo sh -c "echo ':APE-jart:M::jartsr::/usr/bin/ape:' >/proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/register"
 ```
diff --git a/tool/cosmocc/README.md b/tool/cosmocc/README.md
index 61fd40c1c..0f346ed6d 100644
--- a/tool/cosmocc/README.md
+++ b/tool/cosmocc/README.md
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ can fix that by running these commands:
 
 ```sh
 sudo wget -O /usr/bin/ape https://cosmo.zip/pub/cosmos/bin/ape-$(uname -m).elf
+sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/ape
 sudo sh -c "echo ':APE:M::MZqFpD::/usr/bin/ape:' >/proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/register"
 sudo sh -c "echo ':APE-jart:M::jartsr::/usr/bin/ape:' >/proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/register"
 ```