diff --git a/command_watcher.sh b/command_watcher.sh
index 3700ce9..4baa8fb 100755
--- a/command_watcher.sh
+++ b/command_watcher.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ lounge_light_toggle() {
 
 cd "$(dirname $0)"
 touch "$COMMAND_FILE"
-chmod 666 "$COMMAND_FILE"
+chmod -f 666 "$COMMAND_FILE"
 while inotifywait -qq -e close_write "$COMMAND_FILE"; do
 	mv "$COMMAND_FILE" "$COMMAND_FILE_TMP"
 	sleep .1				# wait for possible further/parallel writes to end
@@ -34,5 +34,5 @@ while inotifywait -qq -e close_write "$COMMAND_FILE"; do
 	done < "$COMMAND_FILE_TMP"
 	rm "$COMMAND_FILE_TMP"
 	touch "$COMMAND_FILE"
-	chmod 666 "$COMMAND_FILE"
+	chmod -f 666 "$COMMAND_FILE"
 done
diff --git a/shell.sh b/shell.sh
index b017f67..05c8055 100755
--- a/shell.sh
+++ b/shell.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 #    command="/home/automation/chch-power/shell.sh",no-port-forwarding,no-X11-forwarding,no-agent-forwarding,no-pty ssh-rsa AAAA...
 
 COMMAND_FILE=/tmp/command
+touch $COMMAND_FILE
+chmod -f 666 $COMMAND_FILE
 
 status() {
 	STATUS="$(cat /tmp/status)"