diff --git a/binary_database_files/storage.py b/binary_database_files/storage.py
index 9615140..27a8ae9 100644
--- a/binary_database_files/storage.py
+++ b/binary_database_files/storage.py
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ def _open(self, name, mode="rb"):
             fqfn = self.path(name)
             if os.path.isfile(fqfn):
                 # print('Loading file into database.')
-                self._save(name, open(fqfn, mode))
+                with open(fqfn, mode) as fd:
+                    self._save(name, fd)
                 fh = super(DatabaseStorage, self)._open(name, mode)
                 content = fh.read()
                 size = fh.size
diff --git a/binary_database_files/utils.py b/binary_database_files/utils.py
index 2f04428..e93cf0a 100644
--- a/binary_database_files/utils.py
+++ b/binary_database_files/utils.py
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 import hashlib
+import logging
 import os
+import shutil
 
 from django.conf import settings
 
 from binary_database_files import settings as _settings
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 def is_fresh(name, content_hash):
     """
@@ -41,14 +45,38 @@ def get_hash_fn(name):
     fqfn = os.path.join(settings.MEDIA_ROOT, name)
     fqfn = os.path.normpath(fqfn)
     fqfn_parts = os.path.split(fqfn)
-    if not os.path.isdir(fqfn_parts[0]):
-        os.makedirs(fqfn_parts[0])
+
+    create_directory_for_file(fqfn)
+
     hash_fn = os.path.join(
         fqfn_parts[0], _settings.DB_FILES_DEFAULT_HASH_FN_TEMPLATE % fqfn_parts[1]
     )
     return hash_fn
 
 
+def create_directory_for_file(full_path):
+
+    directory = os.path.dirname(full_path)
+    directory_permissions_mode = settings.FILE_UPLOAD_DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS
+
+    if os.path.isdir(directory):
+        return
+
+    try:
+        if directory_permissions_mode is not None:
+            # Set the umask because os.makedirs() doesn't apply the "mode"
+            # argument to intermediate-level directories.
+            old_umask = os.umask(0o777 & ~directory_permissions_mode)
+            try:
+                os.makedirs(directory, directory_permissions_mode, exist_ok=True)
+            finally:
+                os.umask(old_umask)
+        else:
+            os.makedirs(directory, exist_ok=True)
+    except FileExistsError:
+        raise FileExistsError('%s exists and is not a directory.' % directory)
+
+
 def write_file(name, content, overwrite=False):
     """
     Writes the given content to the relative filename under the MEDIA_ROOT.
@@ -57,10 +85,11 @@ def write_file(name, content, overwrite=False):
     fqfn = os.path.normpath(fqfn)
     if os.path.isfile(fqfn) and not overwrite:
         return
-    fqfn_parts = os.path.split(fqfn)
-    if not os.path.isdir(fqfn_parts[0]):
-        os.makedirs(fqfn_parts[0])
-    open(fqfn, "wb").write(content)
+
+    create_directory_for_file(fqfn)
+
+    with open(fqfn, "wb") as fd:
+        fd.write(content)
 
     # Cache hash.
     hash_value = get_file_hash(fqfn)
@@ -69,20 +98,28 @@ def write_file(name, content, overwrite=False):
         value = bytes(hash_value, "utf-8")
     except TypeError:
         value = hash_value
-    open(hash_fn, "wb").write(value)
+
+    with open(hash_fn, "wb") as fd:
+        fd.write(value)
 
     # Set ownership and permissions.
     uname = getattr(settings, "DATABASE_FILES_USER", None)
     gname = getattr(settings, "DATABASE_FILES_GROUP", None)
-    if gname:
-        gname = ":" + gname
-    if uname:
-        os.system('chown -RL %s%s "%s"' % (uname, gname, fqfn_parts[0]))  # noqa: S605
+    if uname is not None or gname is not None:
+        try:
+            shutil.chown(fqfn, user=uname, group=gname)
+            shutil.chown(hash_fn, user=uname, group=gname)
+        except OSError as e:
+            logger.warning('Could not chown file %s: %s', fqfn, e)
 
     # Set permissions.
-    perms = getattr(settings, "DATABASE_FILES_PERMS", None)
+    perms = getattr(settings, "DATABASE_FILES_PERMS", settings.FILE_UPLOAD_PERMISSIONS)
     if perms:
-        os.system('chmod -R %s "%s"' % (perms, fqfn_parts[0]))  # noqa: S605
+        try:
+            os.chmod(fqfn, perms)
+            os.chmod(hash_fn, perms)
+        except OSError as e:
+            logger.warning('Could not chmod file %s: %s', fqfn, e)
 
 
 def get_file_hash(fin, force_encoding=None, encoding=None, errors=None, chunk_size=128):