diff --git a/mercurial/merge.py b/mercurial/merge.py
--- a/mercurial/merge.py
+++ b/mercurial/merge.py
@@ -157,19 +157,19 @@ def update(repo, node, branchmerge=False
                     # "if we changed or they changed, change in merge"
                     a, b, c = mfa.execf(f), mfw.execf(f), mf2.execf(f)
                     mode = ((a^b) | (a^c)) ^ a
-                    merge[f] = (m1.get(f, nullid), m2[f], mode)
+                    merge[f] = (mode, m1.get(f, nullid), m2[f])
                     s = 1
                 # are we clobbering?
                 # is remote's version newer?
                 # or are we going back in time?
                 elif overwrite or m2[f] != a or (p2 == pa and mw[f] == m1[f]):
                     repo.ui.debug(_(" remote %s is newer, get\n") % f)
-                    get[f] = m2[f]
+                    get[f] = (m2.execf(f), m2[f])
                     s = 1
             elif f in umap or f in added:
                 # this unknown file is the same as the checkout
                 # we need to reset the dirstate if the file was added
-                get[f] = m2[f]
+                get[f] = (m2.execf(f), m2[f])
 
             if not s and mfw.execf(f) != mf2.execf(f):
                 if overwrite:
@@ -221,14 +221,14 @@ def update(repo, node, branchmerge=False
                     (_("remote changed %s which local deleted\n") % f) +
                      _("(k)eep or (d)elete?"), _("[kd]"), _("k"))
             if r == _("k"):
-                get[f] = n
+                get[f] = (m2.execf(f), n)
         elif f not in ma:
             repo.ui.debug(_("remote created %s\n") % f)
-            get[f] = n
+            get[f] = (m2.execf(f), n)
         else:
             if overwrite or p2 == pa: # going backwards?
                 repo.ui.debug(_("local deleted %s, recreating\n") % f)
-                get[f] = n
+                get[f] = (m2.execf(f), n)
             else:
                 repo.ui.debug(_("local deleted %s\n") % f)
 
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ def update(repo, node, branchmerge=False
 
     if overwrite:
         for f in merge:
-            get[f] = merge[f][1]
+            get[f] = merge[f][:2]
         merge = {}
 
     if linear_path or overwrite:
@@ -254,12 +254,13 @@ def update(repo, node, branchmerge=False
     files = get.keys()
     files.sort()
     for f in files:
+        flag, node = get[f]
         if f[0] == "/":
             continue
         repo.ui.note(_("getting %s\n") % f)
-        t = repo.file(f).read(get[f])
+        t = repo.file(f).read(node)
         repo.wwrite(f, t)
-        util.set_exec(repo.wjoin(f), mf2.execf(f))
+        util.set_exec(repo.wjoin(f), flag)
         if not partial:
             if branchmerge:
                 repo.dirstate.update([f], 'n', st_mtime=-1)
@@ -272,7 +273,7 @@ def update(repo, node, branchmerge=False
     files.sort()
     for f in files:
         repo.ui.status(_("merging %s\n") % f)
-        my, other, flag = merge[f]
+        flag, my, other = merge[f]
         ret = merge3(repo, f, my, other, xp1, xp2)
         if ret:
             unresolved.append(f)