diff --git a/dev/debug_osync.sh b/dev/debug_osync.sh
index 6352483..e715ae4 100755
--- a/dev/debug_osync.sh
+++ b/dev/debug_osync.sh
@@ -1213,7 +1213,7 @@ function PreInit {
 	fi
 	if [ "$PRESERVE_GROUP" != "no" ]; then
 		RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS=$RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS" -g"
-
+	fi
 	if [ "$PRESERVE_ACL" == "yes" ]; then
 		RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS=$RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS" -A"
 	fi
@@ -1316,10 +1316,11 @@ function InitLocalOSSettings {
 function InitRemoteOSSettings {
 	__CheckArguments 0 $# ${FUNCNAME[0]} "$@"    #__WITH_PARANOIA_DEBUG
 
+	#TODO: fix add -E when both initiator and targets don't run MacOSX and PRESERVE_EXECUTABILITY=yes
 	## MacOSX does not use the -E parameter like Linux or BSD does (-E is mapped to extended attrs instead of preserve executability)
-	if [ "$LOCAL_OS" != "MacOSX" ] && [ "$REMOTE_OS" != "MacOSX" ]; then
-		RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS=$RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS" -E"
-	fi
+	#if [ "$LOCAL_OS" != "MacOSX" ] && [ "$REMOTE_OS" != "MacOSX" ]; then
+	#	RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS=$RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS" -E"
+	#fi
 
 	if [ "$REMOTE_OS" == "msys" ]; then
 		REMOTE_FIND_CMD=$(dirname $BASH)/find
@@ -2391,6 +2392,7 @@ function deletion_propagation {
 ######
 ###### Step 1: Create current tree list for initiator and target replicas (Steps 1M and 1S)
 ###### Step 2: Create deleted file list for initiator and target replicas (Steps 2M and 2S)
+###### Steps 3a & 3b can be skipped depending on $RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS is empty or not
 ###### Step 3a: Update initiator and target file attributes only
 ###### Step 3b: Update initiator and target replicas (Steps 3M and 3S, order depending on conflict prevalence)
 ###### Step 4: Deleted file propagation to initiator and target replicas (Steps 4M and 4S)
@@ -2472,15 +2474,20 @@ function Sync {
 		fi
 		resume_sync="resumed"
 	fi
-	if [ "$resume_sync" == "resumed" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[3]}.success" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.fail" ]; then
-		sync_attrs "${INITIATOR[1]}" "$TARGET_SYNC_DIR"
-		if [ $? == 0 ]; then
-			echo "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.success" > "${INITIATOR[7]}"
-		else
-			echo "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.fail" > "${INITIATOR[7]}"
+	if [ "$RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS" != "" ]; then
+		if [ "$resume_sync" == "resumed" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[3]}.success" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.fail" ]; then
+			sync_attrs "${INITIATOR[1]}" "$TARGET_SYNC_DIR"
+			if [ $? == 0 ]; then
+				echo "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.success" > "${INITIATOR[7]}"
+			else
+				echo "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.fail" > "${INITIATOR[7]}"
+			fi
+			resume_sync="resumed"
 		fi
-		resume_sync="resumed"
+	else
+		echo "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.success" > "${INITIATOR[7]}"
 	fi
+
 	if [ "$resume_sync" == "resumed" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.success" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[5]}.fail" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[6]}.fail" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[5]}.success" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[6]}.success" ]; then
 		if [ "$CONFLICT_PREVALANCE" == "${TARGET[0]}" ]; then
 			if [ "$resume_sync" == "resumed" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.success" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[5]}.fail" ]; then
diff --git a/osync.sh b/osync.sh
index 475c813..2f507ae 100755
--- a/osync.sh
+++ b/osync.sh
@@ -1109,7 +1109,7 @@ function PreInit {
 	fi
 	if [ "$PRESERVE_GROUP" != "no" ]; then
 		RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS=$RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS" -g"
-
+	fi
 	if [ "$PRESERVE_ACL" == "yes" ]; then
 		RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS=$RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS" -A"
 	fi
@@ -1209,10 +1209,11 @@ function InitLocalOSSettings {
 
 function InitRemoteOSSettings {
 
+	#TODO: fix add -E when both initiator and targets don't run MacOSX and PRESERVE_EXECUTABILITY=yes
 	## MacOSX does not use the -E parameter like Linux or BSD does (-E is mapped to extended attrs instead of preserve executability)
-	if [ "$LOCAL_OS" != "MacOSX" ] && [ "$REMOTE_OS" != "MacOSX" ]; then
-		RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS=$RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS" -E"
-	fi
+	#if [ "$LOCAL_OS" != "MacOSX" ] && [ "$REMOTE_OS" != "MacOSX" ]; then
+	#	RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS=$RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS" -E"
+	#fi
 
 	if [ "$REMOTE_OS" == "msys" ]; then
 		REMOTE_FIND_CMD=$(dirname $BASH)/find
@@ -2255,6 +2256,7 @@ function deletion_propagation {
 ######
 ###### Step 1: Create current tree list for initiator and target replicas (Steps 1M and 1S)
 ###### Step 2: Create deleted file list for initiator and target replicas (Steps 2M and 2S)
+###### Steps 3a & 3b can be skipped depending on $RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS is empty or not
 ###### Step 3a: Update initiator and target file attributes only
 ###### Step 3b: Update initiator and target replicas (Steps 3M and 3S, order depending on conflict prevalence)
 ###### Step 4: Deleted file propagation to initiator and target replicas (Steps 4M and 4S)
@@ -2335,15 +2337,20 @@ function Sync {
 		fi
 		resume_sync="resumed"
 	fi
-	if [ "$resume_sync" == "resumed" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[3]}.success" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.fail" ]; then
-		sync_attrs "${INITIATOR[1]}" "$TARGET_SYNC_DIR"
-		if [ $? == 0 ]; then
-			echo "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.success" > "${INITIATOR[7]}"
-		else
-			echo "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.fail" > "${INITIATOR[7]}"
+	if [ "$RSYNC_ATTR_ARGS" != "" ]; then
+		if [ "$resume_sync" == "resumed" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[3]}.success" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.fail" ]; then
+			sync_attrs "${INITIATOR[1]}" "$TARGET_SYNC_DIR"
+			if [ $? == 0 ]; then
+				echo "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.success" > "${INITIATOR[7]}"
+			else
+				echo "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.fail" > "${INITIATOR[7]}"
+			fi
+			resume_sync="resumed"
 		fi
-		resume_sync="resumed"
+	else
+		echo "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.success" > "${INITIATOR[7]}"
 	fi
+
 	if [ "$resume_sync" == "resumed" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.success" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[5]}.fail" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[6]}.fail" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[5]}.success" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[6]}.success" ]; then
 		if [ "$CONFLICT_PREVALANCE" == "${TARGET[0]}" ]; then
 			if [ "$resume_sync" == "resumed" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[4]}.success" ] || [ "$resume_sync" == "${SYNC_ACTION[5]}.fail" ]; then