diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 26c62c24..7c3ff111 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ case $OSTYPE in
 esac
 
 test -w $HOME/$CONFIG_FILE &&
-  cp $HOME/$CONFIG_FILE $HOME/$CONFIG_FILE.bak &&
+  cp -a $HOME/$CONFIG_FILE $HOME/$CONFIG_FILE.bak &&
   echo "Your original $CONFIG_FILE has been backed up to $CONFIG_FILE.bak"
 
 cp $HOME/.bash_it/template/bash_profile.template.bash $HOME/$CONFIG_FILE
diff --git a/plugins/available/base.plugin.bash b/plugins/available/base.plugin.bash
index 8c8a2c50..837d7536 100644
--- a/plugins/available/base.plugin.bash
+++ b/plugins/available/base.plugin.bash
@@ -213,5 +213,5 @@ function buf ()
     group 'base'
     local filename=$1
     local filetime=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
-    cp "${filename}" "${filename}_${filetime}"
+    cp -a "${filename}" "${filename}_${filetime}"
 }
diff --git a/test/plugins/base.plugin.bats b/test/plugins/base.plugin.bats
index 9bc9f0e6..1d940984 100755
--- a/test/plugins/base.plugin.bats
+++ b/test/plugins/base.plugin.bats
@@ -34,3 +34,11 @@ load ../../plugins/available/base.plugin
   assert_success
   [[ $output == l? ]]
 }
+
+@test 'plugins base: buf()' {
+  mkdir -p $BASH_IT_ROOT
+  declare -r file="${BASH_IT_ROOT}/file"
+  touch $file
+  run buf $file
+  [[ -e ${file}_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S) ]]
+}