diff --git a/lib/constants.py b/lib/constants.py
index 45c02db1c659429767e7bbd297b393d8e1cd1460..402087925a88b0c9c7001e9c5ee7d341e09ed5e1 100644
--- a/lib/constants.py
+++ b/lib/constants.py
@@ -1240,6 +1240,8 @@ SS_MAINTAIN_NODE_HEALTH = "maintain_node_health"
 SS_UID_POOL = "uid_pool"
 SS_NODEGROUPS = "nodegroups"
 
+SS_FILE_PERMS = 0444
+
 # cluster wide default parameters
 DEFAULT_ENABLED_HYPERVISOR = HT_XEN_PVM
 
diff --git a/lib/ssconf.py b/lib/ssconf.py
index c1ef0966e36762e9df964ace06f9e4f6f93cba05..9cc2a345022ff3f33e5962e09d96bf1a6f8991dc 100644
--- a/lib/ssconf.py
+++ b/lib/ssconf.py
@@ -349,7 +349,8 @@ class SimpleStore(object):
         if len(value) > self._MAX_SIZE:
           raise errors.ConfigurationError("ssconf file %s above maximum size" %
                                           name)
-        utils.WriteFile(self.KeyToFilename(name), data=value, mode=0444)
+        utils.WriteFile(self.KeyToFilename(name), data=value,
+                        mode=constants.SS_FILE_PERMS)
     finally:
       ssconf_lock.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/lib/tools/ensure_dirs.py b/lib/tools/ensure_dirs.py
index 8de0cbf4dc827e0c1375d49792a0dc96677b7b21..fcdae5fd55ae3238debcd7ea38ddde3adc1ae57b 100644
--- a/lib/tools/ensure_dirs.py
+++ b/lib/tools/ensure_dirs.py
@@ -172,7 +172,8 @@ def GetPaths():
 
   ss = ssconf.SimpleStore()
   for ss_path in ss.GetFileList():
-    paths.append((ss_path, FILE, 0400, getent.noded_uid, 0, False))
+    paths.append((ss_path, FILE, constants.SS_FILE_PERMS,
+                  getent.noded_uid, 0, False))
 
   paths.extend([
     (constants.QUEUE_DIR, DIR, 0700, getent.masterd_uid,