diff --git a/xCAT/postscripts/servicenode b/xCAT/postscripts/servicenode
index 67ad887a4..ed9f929d5 100755
--- a/xCAT/postscripts/servicenode
+++ b/xCAT/postscripts/servicenode
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ sub setupAIXsn
     }
 
 	# copy the postscripts to /install/postscripts
-	if (&runcmd("cp -R /xcatpost/* /install/postscripts > /dev/null 2>&1") != 0 ) {
+	if (&runcmd("cp -p -R /xcatpost/* /install/postscripts > /dev/null 2>&1") != 0 ) {
 		$msg = "$::sdate servicenode: Could not copy postscripts to /install/postscripts.\n";
 		`logger -t xcat $msg`;
 	}
diff --git a/xCAT/postscripts/xcataixpost b/xCAT/postscripts/xcataixpost
index d631aee75..8031f2d72 100755
--- a/xCAT/postscripts/xcataixpost
+++ b/xCAT/postscripts/xcataixpost
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ if ( !(-f "/xcatpost/xcataixpost") || $::opt_c ) {
 	}
 
 	if ((@ARGV==0) || ($ARGV[0] != 2)) {
-    	$cpcmd = "cp -r /xcatmnt/* /xcatpost 2>/dev/null";
+    	$cpcmd = "cp -p -R /xcatmnt/* /xcatpost 2>/dev/null";
 	} else {
     	# when argv[1]=2, there is only one postscript file,
     	#   user wants only download it to save time