diff --git a/mercurial/context.py b/mercurial/context.py
--- a/mercurial/context.py
+++ b/mercurial/context.py
@@ -1458,6 +1458,18 @@
     def children(self):
         return []
 
+    def flags(self, path):
+        if '_manifest' in self.__dict__:
+            try:
+                return self._manifest.flags(path)
+            except KeyError:
+                return b''
+
+        try:
+            return self._flagfunc(path)
+        except OSError:
+            return b''
+
     def ancestor(self, c2):
         """return the "best" ancestor context of self and c2"""
         return self._parents[0].ancestor(c2)  # punt on two parents for now
@@ -1594,12 +1606,6 @@
         return self._repo.dirstate.flagfunc(self._buildflagfunc)
 
     def flags(self, path):
-        if '_manifest' in self.__dict__:
-            try:
-                return self._manifest.flags(path)
-            except KeyError:
-                return b''
-
         try:
             return self._flagfunc(path)
         except OSError:
diff --git a/tests/test-merge-exec.t b/tests/test-merge-exec.t
--- a/tests/test-merge-exec.t
+++ b/tests/test-merge-exec.t
@@ -209,6 +209,5 @@
     a
   R a
   $ [ -x z ] || echo "executable bit lost"
-  executable bit lost
 
   $ cd ..