diff -ur Thunar-1.6.6.orig/thunar/thunar-file.c Thunar-1.6.6/thunar/thunar-file.c
--- Thunar-1.6.6.orig/thunar/thunar-file.c	2015-02-28 14:13:00.000000000 +0100
+++ Thunar-1.6.6/thunar/thunar-file.c	2015-03-04 23:06:44.100822187 +0100
@@ -100,10 +100,6 @@
 static GFileInfo         *thunar_file_info_get_filesystem_info (ThunarxFileInfo        *file_info);
 static GFile             *thunar_file_info_get_location        (ThunarxFileInfo        *file_info);
 static void               thunar_file_info_changed             (ThunarxFileInfo        *file_info);
-static gboolean           thunar_file_denies_access_permission (const ThunarFile       *file,
-                                                                ThunarFileMode          usr_permissions,
-                                                                ThunarFileMode          grp_permissions,
-                                                                ThunarFileMode          oth_permissions);
 static void               thunar_file_monitor                  (GFileMonitor           *monitor,
                                                                 GFile                  *path,
                                                                 GFile                  *other_path,
@@ -573,81 +569,6 @@
 
 
 
-static gboolean
-thunar_file_denies_access_permission (const ThunarFile *file,
-                                      ThunarFileMode    usr_permissions,
-                                      ThunarFileMode    grp_permissions,
-                                      ThunarFileMode    oth_permissions)
-{
-  ThunarFileMode mode;
-  ThunarGroup   *group;
-  ThunarUser    *user;
-  gboolean       result;
-  GList         *groups;
-  GList         *lp;
-
-  /* query the file mode */
-  mode = thunar_file_get_mode (file);
-
-  /* query the owner of the file, if we cannot determine
-   * the owner, we can't tell if we're denied to access
-   * the file, so we simply return FALSE then.
-   */
-  user = thunar_file_get_user (file);
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (user == NULL))
-    return FALSE;
-
-  /* root is allowed to do everything */
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (effective_user_id == 0))
-    return FALSE;
-
-  if (thunar_user_is_me (user))
-    {
-      /* we're the owner, so the usr permissions must be granted */
-      result = ((mode & usr_permissions) == 0);
-  
-      /* release the user */
-      g_object_unref (G_OBJECT (user));
-    }
-  else
-    {
-      group = thunar_file_get_group (file);
-      if (G_LIKELY (group != NULL))
-        {
-          /* release the file owner */
-          g_object_unref (G_OBJECT (user));
-
-          /* determine the effective user */
-          user = thunar_user_manager_get_user_by_id (user_manager, effective_user_id);
-          if (G_LIKELY (user != NULL))
-            {
-              /* check the group permissions */
-              groups = thunar_user_get_groups (user);
-              for (lp = groups; lp != NULL; lp = lp->next)
-                if (THUNAR_GROUP (lp->data) == group)
-                  {
-                    g_object_unref (G_OBJECT (user));
-                    g_object_unref (G_OBJECT (group));
-                    return ((mode & grp_permissions) == 0);
-                  }
-          
-              /* release the effective user */
-              g_object_unref (G_OBJECT (user));
-            }
-
-          /* release the file group */
-          g_object_unref (G_OBJECT (group));
-        }
-
-      /* check other permissions */
-      result = ((mode & oth_permissions) == 0);
-    }
-
-  return result;
-}
-
-
-
 static void
 thunar_file_monitor_update (GFile             *path,
                             GFileMonitorEvent  event_type)
@@ -2807,16 +2728,28 @@
 static gboolean
 thunar_file_is_readable (const ThunarFile *file)
 {
-  _thunar_return_val_if_fail (THUNAR_IS_FILE (file), FALSE);
+  char *mypath;
+  FILE *testme;
 
-  if (file->info == NULL)
+  /* Filesystem-independent method, works with any kind of access control
+   * system: simply try to open the file for reading to test if we can read
+   * it. Symlinks are followed as expected. It also works with directories;
+   * POSIX says fopen() can open directories for reading only. Ref.:
+   * http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/functions/fopen.html
+   */
+  mypath = g_file_get_path (file -> gfile);
+
+  if (mypath == NULL)
+    return TRUE;  /* not a real file/dir, e.g. Trash */
+
+  testme = fopen (mypath, "r");
+  g_free (mypath);
+
+  if (testme == NULL)
     return FALSE;
 
-  if (!g_file_info_has_attribute (file->info, G_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ACCESS_CAN_READ))
-    return TRUE;
-      
-  return g_file_info_get_attribute_boolean (file->info, 
-                                            G_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ACCESS_CAN_READ);
+  fclose (testme);
+  return TRUE;
 }
 
 
@@ -3217,14 +3150,8 @@
         ? g_file_info_get_attribute_uint32 (file->info, G_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_UNIX_UID) 
         : 0;
 
-  /* we add "cant-read" if either (a) the file is not readable or (b) a directory, that lacks the
-   * x-bit, see http://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1408 for the details about this change.
-   */
-  if (!thunar_file_is_readable (file)
-      || (thunar_file_is_directory (file)
-          && thunar_file_denies_access_permission (file, THUNAR_FILE_MODE_USR_EXEC,
-                                                         THUNAR_FILE_MODE_GRP_EXEC,
-                                                         THUNAR_FILE_MODE_OTH_EXEC)))
+  /* we add "cant-read" if a test attempt open the file for reading fails. */
+  if (!thunar_file_is_readable (file))
     {
       emblems = g_list_prepend (emblems, THUNAR_FILE_EMBLEM_NAME_CANT_READ);
     }