diff --git a/config/tendermint/config.go b/config/tendermint/config.go
index ea5702153..b2e220fc0 100644
--- a/config/tendermint/config.go
+++ b/config/tendermint/config.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func initTMRoot(rootDir string) {
 	if !FileExists(configFilePath) {
 		// Ask user for moniker
 		// moniker := cfg.Prompt("Type hostname: ", "anonymous")
-		MustWriteFile(configFilePath, []byte(defaultConfig("anonymous")))
+		MustWriteFile(configFilePath, []byte(defaultConfig("anonymous")), 0644)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/config/tendermint_test/config.go b/config/tendermint_test/config.go
index 2bbcb3d80..024a5c970 100644
--- a/config/tendermint_test/config.go
+++ b/config/tendermint_test/config.go
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ func initTMRoot(rootDir string) {
 	if !FileExists(configFilePath) {
 		// Ask user for moniker
 		// moniker := cfg.Prompt("Type hostname: ", "anonymous")
-		MustWriteFile(configFilePath, []byte(defaultConfig("anonymous")))
+		MustWriteFile(configFilePath, []byte(defaultConfig("anonymous")), 0644)
 	}
 	if !FileExists(genesisFilePath) {
-		MustWriteFile(genesisFilePath, []byte(defaultGenesis))
+		MustWriteFile(genesisFilePath, []byte(defaultGenesis), 0644)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/types/genesis.go b/types/genesis.go
index b9ff7e8e9..95d54f478 100644
--- a/types/genesis.go
+++ b/types/genesis.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ type GenesisDoc struct {
 // Utility method for saving GenensisDoc as JSON file.
 func (genDoc *GenesisDoc) SaveAs(file string) error {
 	genDocBytes := wire.JSONBytes(genDoc)
-	return WriteFile(file, genDocBytes)
+	return WriteFile(file, genDocBytes, 0644)
 }
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/types/priv_validator.go b/types/priv_validator.go
index 67189c7c4..e2536e47d 100644
--- a/types/priv_validator.go
+++ b/types/priv_validator.go
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func (privVal *PrivValidator) save() {
 		PanicSanity("Cannot save PrivValidator: filePath not set")
 	}
 	jsonBytes := wire.JSONBytes(privVal)
-	err := WriteFileAtomic(privVal.filePath, jsonBytes)
+	err := WriteFileAtomic(privVal.filePath, jsonBytes, 0600)
 	if err != nil {
 		// `@; BOOM!!!
 		PanicCrisis(err)