diff --git a/doc/monkeysphere.mkd b/doc/monkeysphere.mkd
index 3497073..e42cab1 100644
--- a/doc/monkeysphere.mkd
+++ b/doc/monkeysphere.mkd
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ gitolite put your new hook in the correct place.
 	
 	ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO=hooks/post-update.tertiary
 	
-	if [[ -f $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO || -L $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO ]]; then
+	if [[ -x $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO ]]; then
 	    exec $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO "$@"
 	fi
 
diff --git a/hooks/common/update b/hooks/common/update
index c264d22..2065a04 100755
--- a/hooks/common/update
+++ b/hooks/common/update
@@ -88,9 +88,7 @@ check_ref                (\@allowed_refs, $ENV{GL_REPO}, $_           , $att_acc
 
 # if we returned at all, all the checks succeeded.  Check secondary hooks now
 $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO ||= 'hooks/update.secondary';
-( -f $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO or -l $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO )
-    and system ( $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO, @ARGV )
-    and die "$UPDATE_CHAINS_TO died\n";
+-x $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO and system ( $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO, @ARGV ) and die "$UPDATE_CHAINS_TO died\n";
 
 # now log it and exit 0 so git can get on with it
 log_it("", "$att_acc\t" .  substr($oldsha, 0, 14) . "\t" . substr($newsha, 0, 14) .
diff --git a/hooks/gitolite-admin/post-update b/hooks/gitolite-admin/post-update
index b7cbbb0..62cd647 100755
--- a/hooks/gitolite-admin/post-update
+++ b/hooks/gitolite-admin/post-update
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ cd $od
 ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO=`$GL_BINDIR/gl-query-rc ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO`
 [ -n "$ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO" ] || ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO=hooks/post-update.secondary
 
-if [ -f $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO ] || [ -L $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO ]
+if [ -x $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO ]
 then
     exec $ADMIN_POST_UPDATE_CHAINS_TO "$@"
 fi