diff --git a/hurd/set-host.c b/hurd/set-host.c
index eee50fc08e..889f532885 100644
--- a/hurd/set-host.c
+++ b/hurd/set-host.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* Set a host configuration item kept as the whole contents of a file.
-   Copyright (C) 1996, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+   Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
    This file is part of the GNU C Library.
 
    The GNU C Library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
@@ -27,23 +27,24 @@ _hurd_set_host_config (const char *item, const char *value, size_t valuelen)
   error_t err;
   mach_msg_type_number_t nwrote;
   file_t new, dir;
+  char *name;
 
-  dir = __file_name_split (item, (char **)&item);
+  dir = __file_name_split (item, &name);
   if (dir == MACH_PORT_NULL)
     return -1;
 
   /* Create a new node.  */
-  err = __dir_mkfile (dir, O_CREAT|O_TRUNC, 0600, &new);
+  err = __dir_mkfile (dir, O_CREAT|O_TRUNC, 0644, &new);
   if (! err)
     {
       /* Write the contents.  */
       err = __io_write (new, value, valuelen, 0, &nwrote);
       if (! err)
 	/* Atomically link the new node onto the name.  */
-	err = __dir_link (dir, new, item, 0);
+	err = __dir_link (dir, new, name, 0);
       __mach_port_deallocate (__mach_task_self (), new);
     }
   __mach_port_deallocate (__mach_task_self (), dir);
 
-  return nwrote;
+  return err ? __hurd_fail (err) : nwrote;
 }