diff --git a/lib/copy/ncp.js b/lib/copy/ncp.js
index 9670ee02..5007839a 100644
--- a/lib/copy/ncp.js
+++ b/lib/copy/ncp.js
@@ -96,30 +96,34 @@ function ncp (source, dest, options, callback) {
 
   function copyFile (file, target) {
     var readStream = fs.createReadStream(file.name)
-    var writeStream = fs.createWriteStream(target, { mode: file.mode })
 
     readStream.on('error', onError)
-    writeStream.on('error', onError)
 
-    if (transform) {
-      transform(readStream, writeStream, file)
-    } else {
-      writeStream.on('open', function () {
-        readStream.pipe(writeStream)
-      })
-    }
+    readStream.once('open', function () {
+      var writeStream = fs.createWriteStream(target, { mode: file.mode })
 
-    writeStream.once('close', function () {
-      fs.chmod(target, file.mode, function (err) {
-        if (err) return onError(err)
-        if (preserveTimestamps) {
-          utimes.utimesMillis(target, file.atime, file.mtime, function (err) {
-            if (err) return onError(err)
-            return doneOne()
-          })
-        } else {
-          doneOne()
-        }
+      writeStream.on('error', onError)
+
+      if (transform) {
+        transform(readStream, writeStream, file)
+      } else {
+        writeStream.on('open', function () {
+          readStream.pipe(writeStream)
+        })
+      }
+
+      writeStream.once('close', function () {
+        fs.chmod(target, file.mode, function (err) {
+          if (err) return onError(err)
+          if (preserveTimestamps) {
+            utimes.utimesMillis(target, file.atime, file.mtime, function (err) {
+              if (err) return onError(err)
+              return doneOne()
+            })
+          } else {
+            doneOne()
+          }
+        })
       })
     })
   }