diff --git a/internal/fs/file_windows.go b/internal/fs/file_windows.go
index cadd69284..b05068c42 100644
--- a/internal/fs/file_windows.go
+++ b/internal/fs/file_windows.go
@@ -105,17 +105,20 @@ func ClearAttribute(path string, attribute uint32) error {
 }
 
 // OpenHandleForEA return a file handle for file or dir for setting/getting EAs
-func OpenHandleForEA(nodeType, path string) (handle windows.Handle, err error) {
+func OpenHandleForEA(nodeType, path string, writeAccess bool) (handle windows.Handle, err error) {
 	path = fixpath(path)
+	fileAccess := windows.FILE_READ_EA
+	if writeAccess {
+		fileAccess = fileAccess | windows.FILE_WRITE_EA
+	}
+
 	switch nodeType {
 	case "file":
 		utf16Path := windows.StringToUTF16Ptr(path)
-		fileAccessRightReadWriteEA := (0x8 | 0x10)
-		handle, err = windows.CreateFile(utf16Path, uint32(fileAccessRightReadWriteEA), 0, nil, windows.OPEN_EXISTING, windows.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL, 0)
+		handle, err = windows.CreateFile(utf16Path, uint32(fileAccess), 0, nil, windows.OPEN_EXISTING, windows.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL, 0)
 	case "dir":
 		utf16Path := windows.StringToUTF16Ptr(path)
-		fileAccessRightReadWriteEA := (0x8 | 0x10)
-		handle, err = windows.CreateFile(utf16Path, uint32(fileAccessRightReadWriteEA), 0, nil, windows.OPEN_EXISTING, windows.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL|windows.FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS, 0)
+		handle, err = windows.CreateFile(utf16Path, uint32(fileAccess), 0, nil, windows.OPEN_EXISTING, windows.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL|windows.FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS, 0)
 	default:
 		return 0, nil
 	}
diff --git a/internal/restic/node_windows.go b/internal/restic/node_windows.go
index 0825992b1..8942db901 100644
--- a/internal/restic/node_windows.go
+++ b/internal/restic/node_windows.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func (node Node) restoreExtendedAttributes(path string) (err error) {
 // fill extended attributes in the node. This also includes the Generic attributes for windows.
 func (node *Node) fillExtendedAttributes(path string, _ bool) (err error) {
 	var fileHandle windows.Handle
-	if fileHandle, err = fs.OpenHandleForEA(node.Type, path); fileHandle == 0 {
+	if fileHandle, err = fs.OpenHandleForEA(node.Type, path, false); fileHandle == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
 	if err != nil {
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func closeFileHandle(fileHandle windows.Handle, path string) {
 // The Windows API requires setting of all the Extended Attributes in one call.
 func restoreExtendedAttributes(nodeType, path string, eas []fs.ExtendedAttribute) (err error) {
 	var fileHandle windows.Handle
-	if fileHandle, err = fs.OpenHandleForEA(nodeType, path); fileHandle == 0 {
+	if fileHandle, err = fs.OpenHandleForEA(nodeType, path, true); fileHandle == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
 	if err != nil {