diff --git a/archivebox/index/__init__.py b/archivebox/index/__init__.py
index 89a84f1e..6617864b 100644
--- a/archivebox/index/__init__.py
+++ b/archivebox/index/__init__.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ from ..config import (
     URL_BLACKLIST_PTN,
     ANSI,
     stderr,
+    OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS
 )
 from ..logging_util import (
     TimedProgress,
@@ -232,6 +233,8 @@ def write_main_index(links: List[Link], out_dir: str=OUTPUT_DIR, finished: bool=
 
     with timed_index_update(os.path.join(out_dir, SQL_INDEX_FILENAME)):
         write_sql_main_index(links, out_dir=out_dir)
+        os.chmod(os.path.join(out_dir, SQL_INDEX_FILENAME), int(OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS, base=8)) # set here because we don't write it with atomic writes
+
 
     with timed_index_update(os.path.join(out_dir, JSON_INDEX_FILENAME)):
         write_json_main_index(links, out_dir=out_dir)
diff --git a/archivebox/main.py b/archivebox/main.py
index 18f40b97..2c492ee2 100644
--- a/archivebox/main.py
+++ b/archivebox/main.py
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ from .config import (
     CONFIG,
     USER_CONFIG,
     get_real_name,
+    OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS
 )
 from .logging_util import (
     TERM_WIDTH,
@@ -240,8 +241,8 @@ def run(subcommand: str,
 @enforce_types
 def init(force: bool=False, out_dir: str=OUTPUT_DIR) -> None:
     """Initialize a new ArchiveBox collection in the current directory"""
+    os.umask(0o777 - int(OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS, base=8))
     os.makedirs(out_dir, exist_ok=True)
-
     is_empty = not len(set(os.listdir(out_dir)) - ALLOWED_IN_OUTPUT_DIR)
     existing_index = os.path.exists(os.path.join(out_dir, JSON_INDEX_FILENAME))
 
diff --git a/archivebox/system.py b/archivebox/system.py
index d6206557..a9b3758b 100644
--- a/archivebox/system.py
+++ b/archivebox/system.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def atomic_write(path: Union[Path, str], contents: Union[dict, str, bytes], over
             dump(contents, f, indent=4, sort_keys=True, cls=ExtendedEncoder)
         elif isinstance(contents, (bytes, str)):
             f.write(contents)
-
+    os.chmod(path, int(OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS, base=8))
 
 @enforce_types
 def chmod_file(path: str, cwd: str='.', permissions: str=OUTPUT_PERMISSIONS) -> None: