diff --git a/archivebox/system.py b/archivebox/system.py
index 028fbe8f..09066fcf 100644
--- a/archivebox/system.py
+++ b/archivebox/system.py
@@ -118,15 +118,15 @@ def chmod_file(path: str, cwd: str='.', permissions: str=OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS) ->
 
     if not root.is_dir():
         # path is just a plain file
-        os.chmod(root, int(OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS, base=8))
+        os.chmod(root, int(permissions, base=8))
     else:
         for subpath in Path(path).glob('**/*'):
             if subpath.is_dir():
                 # directories need execute permissions to be able to list contents
-                perms_with_x_allowed = OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS.replace('4', '5').replace('6', '7')
+                perms_with_x_allowed = permissions.replace('4', '5').replace('6', '7')
                 os.chmod(subpath, int(perms_with_x_allowed, base=8))
             else:
-                os.chmod(subpath, int(OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS, base=8))
+                os.chmod(subpath, int(permissions, base=8))
 
 
 @enforce_types
diff --git a/tests/test_init.py b/tests/test_init.py
index 728aedfb..156d1907 100644
--- a/tests/test_init.py
+++ b/tests/test_init.py
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ from archivebox.config import OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS
 
 from .fixtures import *
 
+DIR_PERMISSIONS = OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS.replace('6', '7').replace('4', '5')
+
 def test_init(tmp_path, process):
     assert "Initializing a new ArchiveBox" in process.stdout.decode("utf-8")
     
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ def test_correct_permissions_output_folder(tmp_path, process):
     index_files = ['index.sqlite3', 'archive']
     for file in index_files:
         file_path = tmp_path / file
-        assert oct(file_path.stat().st_mode)[-3:] == OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS
+        assert oct(file_path.stat().st_mode)[-3:] in (OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS, DIR_PERMISSIONS)
 
 def test_correct_permissions_add_command_results(tmp_path, process, disable_extractors_dict):
     os.chdir(tmp_path)
@@ -63,7 +65,7 @@ def test_correct_permissions_add_command_results(tmp_path, process, disable_extr
                                   env=disable_extractors_dict)
     archived_item_path = list(tmp_path.glob('archive/**/*'))[0]
     for path in archived_item_path.iterdir():
-        assert oct(path.stat().st_mode)[-3:] == OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS
+        assert oct(path.stat().st_mode)[-3:] in (OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS, DIR_PERMISSIONS)
 
 def test_collision_urls_different_timestamps(tmp_path, process, disable_extractors_dict):
     os.chdir(tmp_path)