diff --git a/harden.sh b/harden.sh
index 73aa3e9..1eb1da8 100755
--- a/harden.sh
+++ b/harden.sh
@@ -27,5 +27,8 @@ chown 0:0 flake.lock;
 chown 0:0 flake.nix
 chown 0:0 profiles/*/configuration.nix;
 chown 0:0 harden.sh;
+chown 0:0 soften.sh;
+chown 0:0 install.sh;
+chown 0:0 update.sh;
 chown 1000:users **/README.org;
 popd &> /dev/null;
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index cfe44f2..f8993a0 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -28,11 +28,12 @@ if [ -z "$EDITOR" ]; then
 fi
 $EDITOR ~/.dotfiles/flake.nix;
 
+# Permissions for files that should be owned by root
+sudo ~/.dotfiles/harden.sh ~/.dotfiles;
+
 # Rebuild system
 sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/.dotfiles#system;
 
 # Install and build home-manager configuration
 nix run home-manager/master --extra-experimental-features nix-command --extra-experimental-features flakes -- switch --flake ~/.dotfiles#user;
 
-# Permissions for files that should be owned by root
-sudo ~/.dotfiles/harden.sh ~/.dotfiles;
diff --git a/soften.sh b/soften.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..55dbbc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/soften.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# This will soften the security of these dotfiles, allowing
+# the default unpriveleged user with UID/GID of 1000 to edit ALL FILES
+# in the dotfiles directory
+
+# This mainly is just here to be used by some scripts
+
+# Run this inside of ~/.dotfiles (or whatever directory you installed
+# the dotfiles to)
+
+# Run this as root!
+
+# BTW, this assumes your user account has a UID/GID of 1000
+
+# After running this, YOUR UNPRIVELEGED USER CAN MAKE EDITS TO
+# IMPORTANT SYSTEM FILES WHICH MAY COMPROMISE THE SYSTEM AFTER
+# RUNNING nixos-rebuild switch!
+
+if [ "$#" = 1 ]; then
+    dotfilesDir=$1;
+else
+    dotfilesDir=$(pwd);
+fi
+pushd $dotfilesDir &> /dev/null;
+chown -R 1000:users .;
+popd &> /dev/null;
diff --git a/update.sh b/update.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..8c890b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/update.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Automated script to update my non-primary systems
+# to be in sync with upstream git repo while
+# preserving local edits to dotfiles via git stash
+
+# Relax permissions temporarily so git can work
+sudo ~/.dotfiles/soften.sh ~/.dotfiles;
+
+# Stash local edits, pull changes, and re-apply local edits
+git stash
+git pull
+git stash apply
+
+# Permissions for files that should be owned by root
+sudo ~/.dotfiles/harden.sh ~/.dotfiles;
+
+# Rebuild system
+sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/.dotfiles#system;
+
+# Install and build home-manager configuration
+home-manager --extra-experimental-features nix-command --extra-experimental-features flakes -- switch --flake ~/.dotfiles#user;
+