diff --git a/global/overlay/etc/puppet/manifests/cosmos-site.pp b/global/overlay/etc/puppet/manifests/cosmos-site.pp
index 2f993ce0..cfb4b444 100644
--- a/global/overlay/etc/puppet/manifests/cosmos-site.pp
+++ b/global/overlay/etc/puppet/manifests/cosmos-site.pp
@@ -159,7 +159,8 @@ class md_publisher(Array $allow_clients=['any'], $keyname=undef, String $dir="/v
       undef   => $::fqdn,
       default => $keyname
    }
-   file { '/var/www/html': ensure => directory, mode => '0644', owner => 'www-data', group =>'www-data' } ->
+   # this allows fileage check to work wo sudo
+   file { '/var/www/html': ensure => directory, mode => '0755', owner => 'www-data', group =>'www-data' } ->
    sunet::rrsync {$dir:
       ro                => false,
       ssh_key           => safe_hiera('publisher_ssh_key',"NOT SET IN HIERA"),