diff --git a/coreutils/chmod.c b/coreutils/chmod.c
index 4e571b7..7492f4d 100644
--- a/coreutils/chmod.c
+++ b/coreutils/chmod.c
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@
 int (*get_stat)(const char *prog_name, const char *path, struct stat *stat_path);
 unsigned int r_flag;
 unsigned int s_flag;
-mode_t mode;
 
-int change(const char *file) {
+int change(const char *file, const char *mode_arg) {
 	struct stat old_file;
 	if (get_stat("chmod", file, &old_file))
 		return 1;
 
+	mode_t mode = mu_parse_mode(mode_arg, old_file.st_mode);
 	if (chmod(file, mode) == 0) {
 		struct stat new_file;
 		if (get_stat("chmod", file, &new_file))
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ int change(const char *file) {
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int chtree(const char *dst) {
-	int ret = change(dst);
+int chtree(const char *dst, const char *mode_arg) {
+	int ret = change(dst, mode_arg);
 
 	struct stat stat_path;
 	if (get_stat("chmod", dst, &stat_path))
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ int chtree(const char *dst) {
 		if (full_path == NULL)
 			continue;
 
-		if (chtree(full_path))
+		if (chtree(full_path, mode_arg))
 			ret = 1;
 
 		free(full_path);
@@ -105,13 +105,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	mode = mu_parse_mode(argv[i]);
+	char *mode_arg = argv[i];
 	argv++;
 	argc--;
 
 	int ret = 0;
 	for (; i < argc; i++)
-		if (chtree(argv[i]))
+		if (chtree(argv[i], mode_arg))
 			ret = 1;
 
 	return ret;
diff --git a/coreutils/mknod.c b/coreutils/mknod.c
index 7e9f26d..5e803b5 100644
--- a/coreutils/mknod.c
+++ b/coreutils/mknod.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ int main(const int argc, const char **argv) {
 			break;
 
 		else if (!strncmp("-m=", argv[i], 3))
-			mode = mu_parse_mode(argv[i] + 3);
+			mode = mu_parse_mode(argv[i] + 3, 0);
 	}
 
 	long major = 0;
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ int main(const int argc, const char **argv) {
 
 	else {
 		printf("mknod [-m=mode] [NAME] [TYPE] [MAJOR MINOR]\n");
-		printf("Types:\n b - block device\n c or u - character device\n p - fifo (MAJOR MINOR must be omitted)\n s - socket\n");
+		printf("Types:\n b - block device\n c or u - character device\n p - named pipe/fifo (MAJOR MINOR must be omitted)\n s - socket\n");
 		return 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/libmu/parse_mode.h b/libmu/parse_mode.h
index 9fd77fc..1e5ba5c 100644
--- a/libmu/parse_mode.h
+++ b/libmu/parse_mode.h
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #define RD_PERM (4)
 #define FULL_PERM (7)
 
-mode_t mu_parse_mode(const char *s) {
+mode_t mu_parse_mode(const char *s, mode_t cur_mode) {
 	char *p = NULL;
 
 	mode_t mode = (mode_t)strtol(s, &p, 8);
@@ -73,12 +73,11 @@ mode_t mu_parse_mode(const char *s) {
 	if (mask == 0)
 		mask = U(FULL_PERM);
 
-	if (append)
-		return mask & mode;
+	mask = mask & mode;
+	if (!append)
+		mode = ~mode;
 
-	mode_t test = mask & mode;
-	printf("test: %d\n", test);
-	return test;
+	return (cur_mode & ~mask) | (mode & mask);
 }
 
 #endif