diff --git a/scripts/metobs_config.sh b/scripts/metobs_config.sh
index b2f9ee9b37f1fa058abfcfd395c4c8e0ecb7ff74..c1e2dd769a1d1a902fd9d3a29070fac88a704c32 100644
--- a/scripts/metobs_config.sh
+++ b/scripts/metobs_config.sh
@@ -28,7 +28,12 @@ day_before() {
 }
 
 work_dir() {
-    mktemp -d --tmpdir="$WORKDIR" "work_$1_XXXXXXXXXX" || oops "Could not create work directory: $1"
+    d=$(mktemp -d --tmpdir="$WORKDIR" "work_$1_XXXXXXXXXX")
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+        oops "Could not create temporary work directory: $1"
+    fi
+    chmod 777 "$d" || oops "Could not change permissions of work directory: $d"
+    echo $d
 }
 
 cache_level_00_file() {