diff --git a/api/acl.go b/api/acl.go
index e0b532b..1bd7040 100644
--- a/api/acl.go
+++ b/api/acl.go
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ const (
 )
 
 var (
-	procSetEntriesInAclW = advapi32.MustFindProc("SetEntriesInAclW")
+	procSetEntriesInAclW           = advapi32.MustFindProc("SetEntriesInAclW")
+	procGetEffectiveRightsFromAclW = advapi32.MustFindProc("GetEffectiveRightsFromAclW")
+	procGetExplicitEntriesFromAclW = advapi32.MustFindProc("GetExplicitEntriesFromAclW")
 )
 
 // https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa379636.aspx
@@ -94,3 +96,63 @@ func SetEntriesInAcl(entries []ExplicitAccess, oldAcl windows.Handle, newAcl *wi
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func GetEffectiveRightsFromAcl(oldAcl windows.Handle, sid *windows.SID) (uint32, error) {
+	trustee := Trustee{
+		TrusteeForm: TRUSTEE_IS_SID,
+		Name:        (*uint16)(unsafe.Pointer(sid)),
+	}
+
+	var rights uint32
+
+	ret, _, err := procGetEffectiveRightsFromAclW.Call(
+		uintptr(oldAcl),
+		uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&trustee)),
+		uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&rights)),
+	)
+
+	if ret != 0 {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return rights, nil
+}
+
+func GetExplicitEntriesFromAcl(oldAcl windows.Handle) ([]ExplicitAccess, error) {
+	var (
+		count uint32
+		list  uintptr
+	)
+
+	/* TODO: seems like I ought to be able to something like this:
+	     var entries *[]ExplicitAccess
+	     ret, _, err := procGetExplicitEntriesFromAclW.Call(
+	         ...,
+	         uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&entries)),
+	     )
+	   but I couldn't figure out how to make it work.  I tried a whole
+	   bunch of different combinations but I only ever managed to get an empty list
+	*/
+	ret, _, err := procGetExplicitEntriesFromAclW.Call(
+		uintptr(oldAcl),
+		uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&count)),
+		uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&list)),
+	)
+
+	if ret != 0 {
+		return []ExplicitAccess{}, err
+	}
+
+	defer windows.LocalFree(windows.Handle(unsafe.Pointer(list)))
+
+	explicitAccessSize := unsafe.Sizeof(ExplicitAccess{})
+	getEntryAtOffset := func(list uintptr, offset uint32) ExplicitAccess {
+		return *(*ExplicitAccess)(unsafe.Pointer(list + explicitAccessSize*uintptr(offset)))
+	}
+
+	output := make([]ExplicitAccess, count)
+	for i := uint32(0); i < count; i++ {
+		output[i] = getEntryAtOffset(list, i)
+	}
+
+	return output, nil
+}
diff --git a/chmod.go b/chmod.go
index 0d7c6c6..d80f669 100644
--- a/chmod.go
+++ b/chmod.go
@@ -11,15 +11,15 @@ import (
 // file's group, and everyone else to be explicitly controlled.
 func Chmod(name string, fileMode os.FileMode) error {
 	// https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/243330/well-known-security-identifiers-in-windows-operating-systems
-	creatorOwnerSID, err := windows.StringToSid("S-1-3-0")
+	creatorOwnerSID, err := windows.StringToSid(SID_NAME_CREATOR_OWNER)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	creatorGroupSID, err := windows.StringToSid("S-1-3-1")
+	creatorGroupSID, err := windows.StringToSid(SID_NAME_CREATOR_GROUP)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	everyoneSID, err := windows.StringToSid("S-1-1-0")
+	everyoneSID, err := windows.StringToSid(SID_NAME_EVERYONE)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -29,8 +29,9 @@ func Chmod(name string, fileMode os.FileMode) error {
 		name,
 		true,
 		false,
-		GrantSid(((mode&0700)<<23)|((mode&0200)<<9), creatorOwnerSID),
-		GrantSid(((mode&0070)<<26)|((mode&0020)<<12), creatorGroupSID),
-		GrantSid(((mode&0007)<<29)|((mode&0002)<<15), everyoneSID),
+		// explicitly granting SYNCHRONIZE allows later detection of when a 0 mode was specified
+		GrantSid(((mode&0700)<<23)|((mode&0200)<<9)|SYNCHRONIZE, creatorOwnerSID),
+		GrantSid(((mode&0070)<<26)|((mode&0020)<<12)|SYNCHRONIZE, creatorGroupSID),
+		GrantSid(((mode&0007)<<29)|((mode&0002)<<15)|SYNCHRONIZE, everyoneSID),
 	)
 }
diff --git a/constants.go b/constants.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5fb50fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/constants.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package acl
+
+import (
+	"golang.org/x/sys/windows"
+)
+
+const (
+	SID_NAME_CREATOR_OWNER = "S-1-3-0"
+	SID_NAME_CREATOR_GROUP = "S-1-3-1"
+	SID_NAME_EVERYONE      = "S-1-1-0"
+)
+
+// access mask constants from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/wmisdk/file-and-directory-access-rights-constants
+// the x/sys/windows package defines some but not all of these constants
+const FILE_READ_DATA = windows.FILE_LIST_DIRECTORY // for a directory, the ability to list contents
+// the windows package only has this by the "LIST_DIRECTORY" name
+const FILE_WRITE_DATA = 0x02                      // for a directory, the ability to add a file
+const FILE_APPEND_DATA = windows.FILE_APPEND_DATA // for a directory, the ability to add a subdirectory
+const FILE_READ_EA = 0x08
+const FILE_WRITE_EA = 0x10
+const FILE_EXECUTE = 0x20 // for a directory, the ability to traverse
+const FILE_READ_ATTRIBUTES = 0x80
+const FILE_WRITE_ATTRIBUTES = windows.FILE_WRITE_ATTRIBUTES
+const DELETE = 0x10000
+const SYNCHRONIZE = windows.SYNCHRONIZE
+
+// these correspond to the GENERIC permissions from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/FileIO/file-security-and-access-rights
+// except that PERM_WRITE has DELETE added to it because otherwise it would be impossible to delete or rename a file.
+
+const PERM_READ uint32 = 0 |
+	FILE_READ_ATTRIBUTES |
+	FILE_READ_DATA |
+	FILE_READ_EA |
+	windows.STANDARD_RIGHTS_READ |
+	SYNCHRONIZE
+
+const PERM_WRITE uint32 = 0 |
+	FILE_APPEND_DATA |
+	FILE_WRITE_ATTRIBUTES |
+	FILE_WRITE_DATA |
+	FILE_WRITE_EA |
+	windows.STANDARD_RIGHTS_WRITE |
+	SYNCHRONIZE
+
+const PERM_EXECUTE uint32 = 0 |
+	FILE_EXECUTE |
+	FILE_READ_ATTRIBUTES |
+	windows.STANDARD_RIGHTS_EXECUTE |
+	SYNCHRONIZE
diff --git a/getaccessmode.go b/getaccessmode.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..884578d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/getaccessmode.go
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+package acl
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"unsafe"
+
+	"github.com/hectane/go-acl/api"
+	"golang.org/x/sys/windows"
+)
+
+func getEffectiveRightsForSid(oldAcl windows.Handle, sid *windows.SID) (uint32, error) {
+	return api.GetEffectiveRightsFromAcl(oldAcl, sid)
+}
+
+func getEffectiveRightsForSidName(oldAcl windows.Handle, sidName string) (uint32, error) {
+	sid, err := windows.StringToSid(sidName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	return getEffectiveRightsForSid(oldAcl, sid)
+}
+
+func getAccessModeForRights(rights uint32) uint32 {
+	var ret uint32
+
+	if rights&PERM_READ == PERM_READ {
+		ret |= 04
+	}
+	if rights&PERM_WRITE == PERM_WRITE {
+		ret |= 02
+	}
+	if rights&PERM_EXECUTE == PERM_EXECUTE {
+		ret |= 01
+	}
+
+	return ret
+}
+
+func GetExplicitAccessMode(name string) (os.FileMode, error) {
+	var (
+		oldAcl  windows.Handle
+		secDesc windows.Handle
+
+		owner *windows.SID
+		group *windows.SID
+	)
+
+	path, err := filepath.Abs(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return os.FileMode(0), err
+	}
+
+	err = api.GetNamedSecurityInfo(
+		path,
+		api.SE_FILE_OBJECT,
+		api.DACL_SECURITY_INFORMATION|
+			api.OWNER_SECURITY_INFORMATION|
+			api.GROUP_SECURITY_INFORMATION,
+		&owner,
+		&group,
+		&oldAcl,
+		nil,
+		&secDesc,
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		return os.FileMode(0), err
+	}
+	defer windows.LocalFree(secDesc)
+
+	ownerName, err := owner.String()
+	if err != nil {
+		return os.FileMode(0), err
+	}
+
+	groupName, err := group.String()
+	if err != nil {
+		return os.FileMode(0), err
+	}
+
+	entries, err := api.GetExplicitEntriesFromAcl(oldAcl)
+	if err != nil {
+		return os.FileMode(0), err
+	}
+
+	var mode uint32
+	if len(entries) > 0 {
+		for _, item := range entries {
+			if item.AccessMode == api.GRANT_ACCESS && item.Trustee.TrusteeForm == api.TRUSTEE_IS_SID {
+				trustee := (*windows.SID)(unsafe.Pointer(item.Trustee.Name))
+
+				name, err := trustee.String()
+				if err != nil {
+					continue
+				}
+
+				switch name {
+				case ownerName:
+					mode |= (getAccessModeForRights(item.AccessPermissions) << 6)
+				case groupName:
+					mode |= (getAccessModeForRights(item.AccessPermissions) << 3)
+				case SID_NAME_EVERYONE:
+					mode |= getAccessModeForRights(item.AccessPermissions)
+
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return os.FileMode(mode), nil
+}
+
+func GetEffectiveAccessMode(name string) (os.FileMode, error) {
+	// get the file's current ACL
+	var (
+		oldAcl  windows.Handle
+		secDesc windows.Handle
+
+		owner *windows.SID
+		group *windows.SID
+	)
+
+	path, err := filepath.Abs(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return os.FileMode(0), err
+	}
+
+	err = api.GetNamedSecurityInfo(
+		path,
+		api.SE_FILE_OBJECT,
+		api.DACL_SECURITY_INFORMATION|
+			api.OWNER_SECURITY_INFORMATION|
+			api.GROUP_SECURITY_INFORMATION,
+		&owner,
+		&group,
+		&oldAcl,
+		nil,
+		&secDesc,
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		return os.FileMode(0), err
+	}
+	defer windows.LocalFree(secDesc)
+
+	ownerRights, err := getEffectiveRightsForSid(oldAcl, owner)
+	if err != nil {
+		return os.FileMode(0), err
+	}
+
+	groupRights, err := getEffectiveRightsForSid(oldAcl, group)
+	if err != nil {
+		return os.FileMode(0), err
+	}
+
+	everyoneRights, err := getEffectiveRightsForSidName(oldAcl, SID_NAME_EVERYONE)
+	if err != nil {
+		return os.FileMode(0), err
+	}
+
+	mode := os.FileMode(
+		getAccessModeForRights(ownerRights)<<6 |
+			getAccessModeForRights(groupRights)<<3 |
+			getAccessModeForRights(everyoneRights)<<0)
+
+	return mode, nil
+}