diff --git a/gnu/local.mk b/gnu/local.mk
index 2f3c200ff40..639dffaefc2 100644
--- a/gnu/local.mk
+++ b/gnu/local.mk
@@ -1998,6 +1998,7 @@ dist_patch_DATA =						\
   %D%/packages/patches/plasp-include-iostream.patch \
   %D%/packages/patches/pocketfft-cpp-prefer-preprocessor-if.patch			\
   %D%/packages/patches/pokerth-boost.patch			\
+  %D%/packages/patches/pounce-readable-checks.patch             \
   %D%/packages/patches/ppsspp-disable-upgrade-and-gold.patch		\
   %D%/packages/patches/procps-strtod-test.patch                 \
   %D%/packages/patches/prusa-slicer-fix-tests.patch		\
diff --git a/gnu/packages/messaging.scm b/gnu/packages/messaging.scm
index d48b6e96e70..5d3ff289cad 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/messaging.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/messaging.scm
@@ -3461,7 +3461,8 @@ notifications.")
        (uri (string-append "https://git.causal.agency/pounce/snapshot/pounce-"
                            version ".tar.gz"))
        (sha256
-        (base32 "0kk0jrfiwfaybr0i5xih3b0yd4i6v3bz866a7xal1j8wddalbwlp"))))
+        (base32 "0kk0jrfiwfaybr0i5xih3b0yd4i6v3bz866a7xal1j8wddalbwlp"))
+       (patches (search-patches "pounce-readable-checks.patch"))))
     (outputs '("out" "debug"))
     (build-system gnu-build-system)
     (arguments
diff --git a/gnu/packages/patches/pounce-readable-checks.patch b/gnu/packages/patches/pounce-readable-checks.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3b47b001203
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnu/packages/patches/pounce-readable-checks.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+Print a warning when a configuration file cannot not be opened due to read
+access.
+
+Upstream-status: Forwarded to the author of Pounce via email.
+
+diff --git a/local.c b/local.c
+index fcd670a..d4603c4 100644
+--- a/local.c
++++ b/local.c
+@@ -43,6 +43,15 @@
+ 
+ static struct tls *server;
+ 
++void checkReadable(const char* file) {
++	FILE* f = fopen(file, "r");
++	if (f == NULL) {
++		if (errno == EACCES) warnx("failed to read file '%s'", file);
++	} else {
++		fclose(f);
++	}
++}
++
+ int localConfig(
+ 	const char *cert, const char *priv, const char *ca, bool require
+ ) {
+@@ -55,12 +64,14 @@ int localConfig(
+ 	int error;
+ 	char buf[PATH_MAX];
+ 	for (int i = 0; configPath(buf, sizeof(buf), cert, i); ++i) {
++		checkReadable(buf);
+ 		error = tls_config_set_cert_file(config, buf);
+ 		if (!error) break;
+ 	}
+ 	if (error) goto fail;
+ 
+ 	for (int i = 0; configPath(buf, sizeof(buf), priv, i); ++i) {
++		checkReadable(buf);
+ 		error = tls_config_set_key_file(config, buf);
+ 		if (!error) break;
+ 	}
+@@ -68,6 +79,7 @@ int localConfig(
+ 
+ 	if (ca) {
+ 		for (int i = 0; configPath(buf, sizeof(buf), ca, i); ++i) {
++			checkReadable(buf);
+ 			error = tls_config_set_ca_file(config, buf);
+ 			if (!error) break;
+ 		}