diff --git a/debian/taler-exchange.postinst b/debian/taler-exchange.postinst
index a5a2b97a3..353f7d6be 100644
--- a/debian/taler-exchange.postinst
+++ b/debian/taler-exchange.postinst
@@ -15,12 +15,6 @@ _ESECUSERNAME=taler-exchange-secmod-eddsa
 _AGGRUSERNAME=taler-exchange-aggregator
 _WIREUSERNAME=taler-exchange-wire
 
-# usage: fixperm user:group perms file
-function fixperm() {
-  chown "$1" "$3"
-  chmod "$2" "$3"
-}
-
 case "${1}" in
 configure)
 
@@ -56,8 +50,8 @@ configure)
     adduser --quiet ${_AGGRUSERNAME} ${_DBGROUPNAME}
   fi
 
-  fixperm ${_WIREUSERNAME}:root 460 /etc/taler/secrets/exchange-accounts.secret.conf
-  fixperm root:${_DBGROUPNAME} 640 /etc/taler/secrets/exchange-db.secret.conf
+  dpkg-statoverride --add --update ${_WIREUSERNAME} root 460 /etc/taler/secrets/exchange-accounts.secret.conf
+  dpkg-statoverride --add --update root ${_DBGROUPNAME} 660 /etc/taler/secrets/exchange-db.secret.conf
 
   ;;