diff --git a/ipykernel/kernelspec.py b/ipykernel/kernelspec.py
index bce8051e0..f160e0d78 100644
--- a/ipykernel/kernelspec.py
+++ b/ipykernel/kernelspec.py
@@ -61,17 +61,27 @@ def get_kernel_dict(extra_arguments=None):
 
 def write_kernel_spec(path=None, overrides=None, extra_arguments=None):
     """Write a kernel spec directory to `path`
-    
+
     If `path` is not specified, a temporary directory is created.
     If `overrides` is given, the kernelspec JSON is updated before writing.
-    
+    if 'resources' is given, copies resources from non-standard location.
+
     The path to the kernelspec is always returned.
     """
     if path is None:
         path = os.path.join(tempfile.mkdtemp(suffix='_kernels'), KERNEL_NAME)
-    
+
     # stage resources
     shutil.copytree(RESOURCES, path)
+
+    # change permission if resources directory is not read-write able
+    if not os.access(path, os.W_OK | os.R_OK):
+        # changes permissions only for owner, do not touch group/other
+        os.chmod(path, os.stat(path).st_mode | 0o700)
+        for f in os.listdir(path):
+            file_path = os.path.join(path, f)
+            os.chmod(file_path, os.stat(file_path).st_mode | 0o600)
+
     # write kernel.json
     kernel_dict = get_kernel_dict(extra_arguments)
 
@@ -79,17 +89,17 @@ def write_kernel_spec(path=None, overrides=None, extra_arguments=None):
         kernel_dict.update(overrides)
     with open(pjoin(path, 'kernel.json'), 'w') as f:
         json.dump(kernel_dict, f, indent=1)
-    
+
     return path
 
 
 def install(kernel_spec_manager=None, user=False, kernel_name=KERNEL_NAME, display_name=None,
             prefix=None, profile=None):
     """Install the IPython kernelspec for Jupyter
-    
+
     Parameters
     ----------
-    
+
     kernel_spec_manager: KernelSpecManager [optional]
         A KernelSpecManager to use for installation.
         If none provided, a default instance will be created.
@@ -108,7 +118,7 @@ def install(kernel_spec_manager=None, user=False, kernel_name=KERNEL_NAME, displ
 
     Returns
     -------
-    
+
     The path where the kernelspec was installed.
     """
     if kernel_spec_manager is None:
@@ -143,12 +153,12 @@ def install(kernel_spec_manager=None, user=False, kernel_name=KERNEL_NAME, displ
 class InstallIPythonKernelSpecApp(Application):
     """Dummy app wrapping argparse"""
     name = 'ipython-kernel-install'
-    
+
     def initialize(self, argv=None):
         if argv is None:
             argv = sys.argv[1:]
         self.argv = argv
-    
+
     def start(self):
         import argparse
         parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog=self.name,
diff --git a/ipykernel/tests/test_kernelspec.py b/ipykernel/tests/test_kernelspec.py
index a3b9771c7..264f2fea8 100644
--- a/ipykernel/tests/test_kernelspec.py
+++ b/ipykernel/tests/test_kernelspec.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 except ImportError:
     import mock # py2
 
+import pytest
+
 from jupyter_core.paths import jupyter_data_dir
 
 from ipykernel.kernelspec import (
@@ -88,10 +90,41 @@ def test_write_kernel_spec_path():
     shutil.rmtree(path)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == 'win32',
+                    reason="does not run on windows")
+def test_write_kernel_spec_permissions(tmp_path):
+    read_only_resources = os.path.join(tmp_path, "_RESOURCES")
+    shutil.copytree(RESOURCES, read_only_resources)
+
+    # file used to check that the correct (mocked) resource directory was used
+    with open(read_only_resources + '/touch', 'w') as f:
+        pass
+
+    # make copy of resources directory read-only
+    os.chmod(read_only_resources, 0o500)
+    for f in os.listdir(read_only_resources):
+        os.chmod(os.path.join(read_only_resources, f), 0o400)
+
+    with mock.patch('ipykernel.kernelspec.RESOURCES', read_only_resources):
+        path = write_kernel_spec()
+
+        assert_is_spec(path)
+
+        # if `touch` is missing then the wrong resources directory was copied by
+        # `write_kernel_spec`, `RESOURCES` mocking didn't work?
+        assert os.path.isfile(path + '/touch')
+
+        # ensure permissions are not loosened too much, original permission was
+        # 0o500, so the 'fixed' one should be 0o700, still no rw for group/other
+        assert os.stat(path).st_mode & 0o77 == 0o00
+
+        shutil.rmtree(path)
+
+
 def test_install_kernelspec():
 
     path = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    try: 
+    try:
         test = InstallIPythonKernelSpecApp.launch_instance(argv=['--prefix', path])
         assert_is_spec(os.path.join(
             path, 'share', 'jupyter', 'kernels', KERNEL_NAME))
@@ -101,21 +134,21 @@ def test_install_kernelspec():
 
 def test_install_user():
     tmp = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    
+
     with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {'HOME': tmp}):
         install(user=True)
         data_dir = jupyter_data_dir()
-    
+
     assert_is_spec(os.path.join(data_dir, 'kernels', KERNEL_NAME))
 
 
 def test_install():
     system_jupyter_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    
+
     with mock.patch('jupyter_client.kernelspec.SYSTEM_JUPYTER_PATH',
             [system_jupyter_dir]):
         install()
-    
+
     assert_is_spec(os.path.join(system_jupyter_dir, 'kernels', KERNEL_NAME))