diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__acl/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__acl/gencode-remote
index 70a46af5..e5404a9d 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__acl/gencode-remote
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__acl/gencode-remote
@@ -20,7 +20,13 @@
 
 file_is="$( cat "$__object/explorer/file_is" )"
 
-[ "$file_is" = 'missing' ] && [ -z "$__cdist_dry_run" ] && exit 0
+if [ "$file_is" = 'missing' ] \
+    && [ -z "$__cdist_dry_run" ] \
+    && \( [ ! -f "$__object/parameter/file" ] \
+        || [ ! -f "$__object/parameter/directory" ] \)
+then
+    exit 0
+fi
 
 os="$( cat "$__global/explorer/os" )"
 
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__acl/man.rst b/cdist/conf/type/__acl/man.rst
index e7ef9579..28412871 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__acl/man.rst
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__acl/man.rst
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@ source
    Ordering of entries is not important.
    When reading from file, comments and empty lines are ignored.
 
+file
+   Create/change file with ``__file`` using ``user:group:mode`` pattern.
+
+directory
+   Create/change directory with ``__directory`` using ``user:group:mode`` pattern.
+
 
 BOOLEAN PARAMETERS
 ------------------
@@ -83,6 +89,13 @@ EXAMPLES
     echo 'user:alice:rwx' \
         | __acl /path/to/directory --source -
 
+    # create/change directory too
+    __acl /path/to/directory \
+        --default \
+        --remove \
+        --directory root:root:770 \
+        --entry user:nobody:rwx
+
 
 AUTHORS
 -------
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__acl/manifest b/cdist/conf/type/__acl/manifest
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..5fd23110
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__acl/manifest
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/sh -e
+
+for p in file directory
+do
+    [ ! -f "$__object/parameter/$p" ] && continue
+
+    "__$p" "/$__object_id" \
+        --owner "$( awk -F: '{print $1}' "$__object/parameter/$p" )" \
+        --group "$( awk -F: '{print $2}' "$__object/parameter/$p" )" \
+        --mode  "$( awk -F: '{print $3}' "$__object/parameter/$p" )"
+done
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__acl/parameter/optional b/cdist/conf/type/__acl/parameter/optional
index 12edcccb..cdcbc0b8 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__acl/parameter/optional
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__acl/parameter/optional
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 mask
 other
 source
+file
+directory