diff --git a/couchpotato/core/_base/_core/__init__.py b/couchpotato/core/_base/_core/__init__.py
index ff2bd07d..d90fa59b 100644
--- a/couchpotato/core/_base/_core/__init__.py
+++ b/couchpotato/core/_base/_core/__init__.py
@@ -81,13 +81,13 @@ config = [{
                 },
                 {
                     'name': 'permission_folder',
-                    'default': 0755,
+                    'default': '0755',
                     'label': 'Folder CHMOD',
-                    'description': 'Permission (decimal) for creating/copying folders. 0755 => 593, 0777 => 511',
+                    'description': 'Can be either decimal (493) or octal (leading zero: 0755)',
                 },
                 {
                     'name': 'permission_file',
-                    'default': 0755,
+                    'default': '0755',
                     'label': 'File CHMOD',
                     'description': 'Same as Folder CHMOD but for files',
                 },
diff --git a/couchpotato/environment.py b/couchpotato/environment.py
index 53cb5408..1ac62b6a 100644
--- a/couchpotato/environment.py
+++ b/couchpotato/environment.py
@@ -62,8 +62,12 @@ class Env(object):
         return s
 
     @staticmethod
-    def getPermission(type):
-        return int(Env.get('settings').get('permission_%s' % type, default = 0777))
+    def getPermission(setting_type):
+        perm = Env.get('settings').get('permission_%s' % setting_type, default = '0777')
+        if perm[0] == '0':
+            return oct(int(perm, 8))
+        else:
+            return oct(int(perm))
 
     @staticmethod
     def fireEvent(*args, **kwargs):