diff --git a/dotfiles.yml b/dotfiles.yml
index e92cba5..3876419 100644
--- a/dotfiles.yml
+++ b/dotfiles.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 empty_directories:
-  - .i3
-  - .gnupg
+  - name: .i3
+  - name: .gnupg
+    mode: '0700'
 dotfiles:
   - from: autostart.sh
     to: .autostart.sh
diff --git a/playbook.yml b/playbook.yml
index 90443de..075ef8c 100644
--- a/playbook.yml
+++ b/playbook.yml
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@
 
     - name: get state of empty directories
       stat:
-        path: ~/{{ item }}
+        path: ~/{{ item.name }}
       register: empty_dir_stat
       with_items: "{{ empty_directories }}"
       tags:
@@ -192,7 +192,8 @@
     - name: create empty directories for dotfiles
       file:
         state: directory
-        path: ~/{{ item }}
+        path: ~/{{ item.name }}
+        mode: "{{ item.mode | default('0755') }}"
       with_items: "{{ empty_directories }}"
       tags:
         - dotfiles