diff --git a/cli/js/lib.deno.ns.d.ts b/cli/js/lib.deno.ns.d.ts
index f2c9fa4bb9..45730acbc6 100644
--- a/cli/js/lib.deno.ns.d.ts
+++ b/cli/js/lib.deno.ns.d.ts
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ declare namespace Deno {
    * Throws `Deno.errors.PermissionDenied` if the user does not have access
    * rights
    *
-   * Requires --allow-write.
+   * Requires --allow-read.
    */
   export function chdir(directory: string): void;
 
diff --git a/cli/js/tests/dir_test.ts b/cli/js/tests/dir_test.ts
index 09236fa22f..3686471f1f 100644
--- a/cli/js/tests/dir_test.ts
+++ b/cli/js/tests/dir_test.ts
@@ -5,20 +5,23 @@ unitTest(function dirCwdNotNull(): void {
   assert(Deno.cwd() != null);
 });
 
-unitTest({ perms: { write: true } }, function dirCwdChdirSuccess(): void {
-  const initialdir = Deno.cwd();
-  const path = Deno.makeTempDirSync();
-  Deno.chdir(path);
-  const current = Deno.cwd();
-  if (Deno.build.os === "darwin") {
-    assertEquals(current, "/private" + path);
-  } else {
-    assertEquals(current, path);
+unitTest(
+  { perms: { read: true, write: true } },
+  function dirCwdChdirSuccess(): void {
+    const initialdir = Deno.cwd();
+    const path = Deno.makeTempDirSync();
+    Deno.chdir(path);
+    const current = Deno.cwd();
+    if (Deno.build.os === "darwin") {
+      assertEquals(current, "/private" + path);
+    } else {
+      assertEquals(current, path);
+    }
+    Deno.chdir(initialdir);
   }
-  Deno.chdir(initialdir);
-});
+);
 
-unitTest({ perms: { write: true } }, function dirCwdError(): void {
+unitTest({ perms: { read: true, write: true } }, function dirCwdError(): void {
   // excluding windows since it throws resource busy, while removeSync
   if (["linux", "darwin"].includes(Deno.build.os)) {
     const initialdir = Deno.cwd();
@@ -39,16 +42,19 @@ unitTest({ perms: { write: true } }, function dirCwdError(): void {
   }
 });
 
-unitTest({ perms: { write: true } }, function dirChdirError(): void {
-  const path = Deno.makeTempDirSync() + "test";
-  try {
-    Deno.chdir(path);
-    throw Error("directory not available, should throw error");
-  } catch (err) {
-    if (err instanceof Deno.errors.NotFound) {
-      assert(err.name === "NotFound");
-    } else {
-      throw Error("raised different exception");
+unitTest(
+  { perms: { read: true, write: true } },
+  function dirChdirError(): void {
+    const path = Deno.makeTempDirSync() + "test";
+    try {
+      Deno.chdir(path);
+      throw Error("directory not available, should throw error");
+    } catch (err) {
+      if (err instanceof Deno.errors.NotFound) {
+        assert(err.name === "NotFound");
+      } else {
+        throw Error("raised different exception");
+      }
     }
   }
-});
+);
diff --git a/cli/ops/fs.rs b/cli/ops/fs.rs
index 55ee1afa39..cccf32c12b 100644
--- a/cli/ops/fs.rs
+++ b/cli/ops/fs.rs
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ fn op_chdir(
 ) -> Result<JsonOp, OpError> {
   let args: ChdirArgs = serde_json::from_value(args)?;
   let d = PathBuf::from(&args.directory);
-  state.check_write(&d)?;
+  state.check_read(&d)?;
   set_current_dir(&d)?;
   Ok(JsonOp::Sync(json!({})))
 }