diff --git a/namedev.c b/namedev.c
index 6f69959346..ac05fd88e4 100644
--- a/namedev.c
+++ b/namedev.c
@@ -446,7 +446,8 @@ static int namedev_init_permissions(void)
 		dev.attr.mode = strtol(temp, NULL, 8);
 
 		dbg_parse("name = %s, owner = %s, group = %s, mode = %#o",
-				dev.attr.name, dev.attr.owner, dev.attr.group, dev.attr.mode);
+				dev.attr.name, dev.attr.owner, dev.attr.group,
+				dev.attr.mode);
 		retval = add_dev(&dev);
 		if (retval) {
 			dbg("add_dev returned with error %d", retval);
@@ -459,7 +460,7 @@ exit:
 	return retval;
 }	
 
-static int get_default_mode(struct sysfs_class_device *class_dev)
+static mode_t get_default_mode(struct sysfs_class_device *class_dev)
 {
 	/* just default everyone to rw for the world! */
 	return 0666;
@@ -544,7 +545,7 @@ static int get_attr(struct sysfs_class_device *class_dev, struct device_attr *at
 	int retval = 0;
 	int found;
 
-	attr->mode = -1;
+	attr->mode = 0;
 	if (class_dev->sysdevice) {
 		dbg_parse("class_dev->sysdevice->directory->path = '%s'", class_dev->sysdevice->directory->path);
 		dbg_parse("class_dev->sysdevice->bus_id = '%s'", class_dev->sysdevice->bus_id);
@@ -751,9 +752,10 @@ label_found:
 		}	
 	}
 	strcpy(attr->name, class_dev->name);
-	
+
 done:
-	if (attr->mode == -1) {	
+	/* mode was never set above */
+	if (!attr->mode) {
 		attr->mode = get_default_mode(class_dev);
 		attr->owner[0] = 0x00;
 		attr->group[0] = 0x00;
diff --git a/udev-add.c b/udev-add.c
index 05f2aa3e9d..d158c41b1d 100644
--- a/udev-add.c
+++ b/udev-add.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ exit:
 /*
  * We also want to add some permissions here, and possibly some symlinks
  */
-static int create_node(char *name, char type, int major, int minor, int mode)
+static int create_node(char *name, char type, int major, int minor, mode_t mode)
 {
 	char filename[255];
 	int retval = 0;
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ static int create_node(char *name, char type, int major, int minor, int mode)
 	}
 
 	dbg("mknod(%s, %#o, %u, %u)", filename, mode, major, minor);
-	retval = mknod(filename,mode,makedev(major,minor));
+	retval = mknod(filename, mode, makedev(major, minor));
 	if (retval)
 		dbg("mknod(%s, %#o, %u, %u) failed with error '%s'",
 		    filename, mode, major, minor, strerror(errno));
diff --git a/udev.h b/udev.h
index 33cb89af55..af575c2b17 100644
--- a/udev.h
+++ b/udev.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ struct device_attr {
 	char name[NAME_SIZE];
 	char owner[OWNER_SIZE];
 	char group[GROUP_SIZE];
-	int mode;
+	mode_t mode;
 };
 
 extern int udev_add_device(char *device, char *subsystem);
diff --git a/udevdb.c b/udevdb.c
index fa26de46d5..678ddd9603 100644
--- a/udevdb.c
+++ b/udevdb.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ struct namedb_record {
 	char type;
 	int major;
 	int minor;
-	int mode;
+	mode_t mode;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/udevdb.h b/udevdb.h
index 8e72eded02..656613b593 100644
--- a/udevdb.h
+++ b/udevdb.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ struct udevice {
 	char type;
 	int major;
 	int minor;
-	int mode;
+	mode_t mode;
 };
 
 /* Function Prototypes */