diff --git a/include/functions b/include/functions
index 0c258907..25a74552 100644
--- a/include/functions
+++ b/include/functions
@@ -1282,6 +1282,9 @@
                     CHECK_PERMISSION=$(echo "-${CHECK_PERMISSION}" | ${AWKBINARY} '{k=0;for(i=0;i<=8;i++)k+=((substr($1,i+2,1)~/[rwx]/)*2^(8-i));if(k)printf("%0o",k)}')
                 fi
 
+                # Add leading zeros if necessary
+                CHECK_PERMISSION=$(echo "${CHECK_PERMISSION}" | ${AWKBINARY} '{printf "%03d",$1}')
+
                 # First try stat command
                 LogText "Test: checking if file ${CHECKFILE} is ${CHECK_PERMISSION}"
                 if [ -n "${STATBINARY}" ]; then
@@ -1300,7 +1303,11 @@
                         *)
                             # Only use find when OS is NOT AIX and binaries are NOT busybox
                             if [ ${SHELL_IS_BUSYBOX} -eq 0 ]; then
-                                DATA=$(${FINDBINARY} ${CHECKFILE} -printf "%m")
+                                if [ -d ${CHECKFILE} ]; then
+                                    DATA=$(${FINDBINARY} ${CHECKFILE} -maxdepth 0 -printf "%m")
+                                else
+                                    DATA=$(${FINDBINARY} ${CHECKFILE} -printf "%m")
+                                fi
                             fi
                         ;;
                     esac
@@ -1318,13 +1325,16 @@
 
                 # Convert permissions to octal when needed
                 case ${DATA} in
-                    "r"|"w"|"x"|"-")
+                    [-r][-w][-x][-r][-w][-x][-r][-w][-x] )
                         LogText "Converting value ${DATA} to octal"
-                        DATA=$(echo ${DATA} | ${AWKBINARY} '{k=0;for(i=0;i<=8;i++)k+=((substr($1,i+2,1)~/[rwx]/)*2^(8-i));if(k)printf("%0o",k)}')
-                        if [ "${DATA}" = "0" ]; then DATA="000"; fi
+                        # add a dummy character as first character so it looks like output is a normal file
+                        DATA=$(echo "-${DATA}" | ${AWKBINARY} '{k=0;for(i=0;i<=8;i++)k+=((substr($1,i+2,1)~/[rwx]/)*2^(8-i));if(k)printf("%0o",k)}')
                     ;;
                 esac
 
+                # Add leading zeros if necessary
+                DATA=$(echo "${DATA}" | ${AWKBINARY} '{printf "%03d",$1}')
+
                 if [ -n "${DATA}" ]; then
                     if [ "${DATA}" = "${CHECK_PERMISSION}" ]; then
                         LogText "Outcome: correct permissions (${DATA})"