diff --git a/vcsserver/hook_utils/__init__.py b/vcsserver/hook_utils/__init__.py
--- a/vcsserver/hook_utils/__init__.py
+++ b/vcsserver/hook_utils/__init__.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def install_git_hooks(repo_path, bare, e
     if not bare:
         hooks_path = os.path.join(repo_path, '.git', 'hooks')
     if not os.path.isdir(hooks_path):
-        os.makedirs(hooks_path, mode=0777)
+        os.makedirs(hooks_path, mode=0o777)
 
     tmpl_post = pkg_resources.resource_string(
         'vcsserver', '/'.join(
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def install_git_hooks(repo_path, bare, e
                     template = template.replace('_ENV_', executable)
                     template = template.replace('_PATH_', path)
                     f.write(template)
-                os.chmod(_hook_file, 0755)
+                os.chmod(_hook_file, 0o755)
             except IOError:
                 log.exception('error writing hook file %s', _hook_file)
         else:
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def install_svn_hooks(repo_path, executa
     executable = executable or sys.executable
     hooks_path = os.path.join(repo_path, 'hooks')
     if not os.path.isdir(hooks_path):
-        os.makedirs(hooks_path, mode=0777)
+        os.makedirs(hooks_path, mode=0o777)
 
     tmpl_post = pkg_resources.resource_string(
         'vcsserver', '/'.join(
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def install_svn_hooks(repo_path, executa
                     template = template.replace('_PATH_', path)
 
                     f.write(template)
-                os.chmod(_hook_file, 0755)
+                os.chmod(_hook_file, 0o755)
             except IOError:
                 log.exception('error writing hook file %s', _hook_file)
         else:
diff --git a/vcsserver/http_main.py b/vcsserver/http_main.py
--- a/vcsserver/http_main.py
+++ b/vcsserver/http_main.py
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ class HTTPApplication(object):
 
         # ensure we have our dir created
         if not os.path.isdir(default_cache_dir):
-            os.makedirs(default_cache_dir, mode=0755)
+            os.makedirs(default_cache_dir, mode=0o755)
 
         # exception store cache
         _string_setting(