diff --git a/beetsplug/permissions.py b/beetsplug/permissions.py
index cf06a96d5..b2c5e7fb0 100644
--- a/beetsplug/permissions.py
+++ b/beetsplug/permissions.py
@@ -16,11 +16,10 @@ from beets.util import ancestry
 
 
 def convert_perm(perm):
-    """If the perm is a int it will first convert it to a string and back
-    to an oct int. Else it just converts it to oct.
+    """If the perm is a int then just return it, otherwise convert it to oct.
     """
     if isinstance(perm, int):
-        return int(bytes(perm), 8)
+        return perm
     else:
         return int(perm, 8)