diff --git a/library/HTMLPurifier/DefinitionCache/Serializer.php b/library/HTMLPurifier/DefinitionCache/Serializer.php
index f930c6b9..902c19c0 100644
--- a/library/HTMLPurifier/DefinitionCache/Serializer.php
+++ b/library/HTMLPurifier/DefinitionCache/Serializer.php
@@ -198,10 +198,7 @@ class HTMLPurifier_DefinitionCache_Serializer extends HTMLPurifier_DefinitionCac
         if ($result !== false) {
             // set permissions of the new file (no execute)
             $chmod = $config->get('Cache.SerializerPermissions');
-            if ($chmod === null) {
-                // don't do anything
-            } else {
-                $chmod = $chmod & 0666;
+            if ($chmod !== null) {
                 chmod($file, $chmod);
             }
         }
@@ -229,14 +226,6 @@ class HTMLPurifier_DefinitionCache_Serializer extends HTMLPurifier_DefinitionCac
             } elseif (!$this->_testPermissions($base, $chmod)) {
                 return false;
             }
-            if ($chmod === null) {
-                trigger_error(
-                    'Base directory ' . $base . ' does not exist,
-                    please create or change using %Cache.SerializerPath',
-                    E_USER_WARNING
-                );
-                return false;
-            }
             if ($chmod !== null) {
                 mkdir($directory, $chmod);
             } else {
diff --git a/tests/HTMLPurifier/DefinitionCache/SerializerTest.php b/tests/HTMLPurifier/DefinitionCache/SerializerTest.php
index 57c2c3e2..cd226b34 100644
--- a/tests/HTMLPurifier/DefinitionCache/SerializerTest.php
+++ b/tests/HTMLPurifier/DefinitionCache/SerializerTest.php
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class HTMLPurifier_DefinitionCache_SerializerTest extends HTMLPurifier_Definitio
             $rel_file = HTMLPURIFIER_PREFIX . '/HTMLPurifier/DefinitionCache/Serializer/Test/' .
             $config_md5 . '.ser'
         );
+        
         if($file && file_exists($file)) unlink($file); // prevent previous failures from causing problems
 
         $this->assertIdentical($config_md5, $cache->generateKey($config));
@@ -215,10 +216,12 @@ class HTMLPurifier_DefinitionCache_SerializerTest extends HTMLPurifier_Definitio
 
         $def_original = $this->generateDefinition();
         $cache->add($def_original, $config);
-        $this->assertFileExist($dir . '/Test/1.0.0,serial,1.ser');
 
-        $this->assertEqual(0600, 0777 & fileperms($dir . '/Test/1.0.0,serial,1.ser'));
-        $this->assertEqual(0700, 0777 & fileperms($dir . '/Test'));
+        $file_path = $dir . '/Test/1.0.0,serial,1.ser';
+        $this->assertFileExist($file_path);
+
+        $file_permissions = substr(sprintf("%o",fileperms($file_path)),-4);;
+        $this->assertEqual("0700", $file_permissions);
 
         unlink($dir . '/Test/1.0.0,serial,1.ser');
         rmdir( $dir . '/Test');