diff --git a/installer/install.sh b/installer/install.sh
index df9fb3d..7c425c4 100644
--- a/installer/install.sh
+++ b/installer/install.sh
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ echo "User $my_user Group $my_group"
 $sudo_cmd chown -R $my_user:$my_group $my_tmp/*
 $sudo_cmd chown root:root $my_tmp/*
 $sudo_cmd chown root:root $my_tmp
-rsync -a $my_tmp/ $my_root/
+# don't change permissions on /, /etc, etc
+rsync -a --ignore-existing $my_tmp/ $my_root/
 rsync -a --ignore-existing $my_app_dist/etc/$my_name/$my_name.yml $my_root/etc/$my_name/$my_name.yml
 source ./installer/install-system-service.sh
 
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@ $sudo_cmd chown -R $my_user:$my_group $my_root/var/www $my_root/srv/www
 # make sure the files are all read/write for the owner and group, and then set
 # the setuid and setgid bits so that any files/directories created inside these
 # directories have the same owner and group.
-$sudo_cmd chmod -R ug+rwX /opt/$my_name
+$sudo_cmd chmod -R ug+rwX $my_root/opt/$my_name
 find $my_root/opt/$my_name -type d -exec $sudo_cmd chmod ug+s {} \;