diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__directory/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__directory/gencode-remote
index e206ca63..05c301b3 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__directory/gencode-remote
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__directory/gencode-remote
@@ -56,15 +56,18 @@ get_current_value() {
 }
 
 set_group() {
-   echo chgrp $recursive \"$1\" \"$destination\"
+    echo chgrp $recursive \"$1\" \"$destination\"
+    echo chgrp $recursive $1 >> "$__messages_out"
 }
 
 set_owner() {
-   echo chown $recursive \"$1\" \"$destination\"
+    echo chown $recursive \"$1\" \"$destination\"
+    echo chown $recursive $1 >> "$__messages_out"
 }
 
 set_mode() {
-   echo chmod $recursive \"$1\" \"$destination\"
+    echo chmod $recursive \"$1\" \"$destination\"
+    echo chmod $recursive $1 >> "$__messages_out"
 }
 
 case "$state_should" in
@@ -77,6 +80,7 @@ case "$state_should" in
 rm -f "$destination"
 mkdir $mkdiropt "$destination"
 DONE
+        echo "remove non directory" >> "$__messages_out"
       fi
 
       # Note: Mode - needs to happen last as a chown/chgrp can alter mode by
@@ -85,12 +89,12 @@ DONE
          if [ -f "$__object/parameter/$attribute" ]; then
             value_should="$(cat "$__object/parameter/$attribute")"
             value_is="$(get_current_value "$attribute" "$value_should")"
-            # the compare isn't correct when eg 0700 = 700 so we prefix the value_is to 4 chars
-            if [ "$attribute" = "mode" ] && [ ${#value_should} != ${#value_is} ]; then
-                if [ ${#value_is} = 3 ]; then
-                    value_is=0${value_is}
-                fi
+
+            # change 0xxx format to xxx format => same as stat returns
+            if [ "$attribute" = mode ]; then
+                value_should="$(echo $value_should | sed 's/^0\(...\)/\1/')"
             fi
+
             if [ "$set_attributes" = 1 ] || [ "$value_should" != "$value_is" ]; then
                "set_$attribute" "$value_should"
             fi
@@ -98,9 +102,10 @@ DONE
       done
    ;;
    absent)
-      if [ "$type" = "directory" ]; then
-         echo rm -rf \"$destination\"
-      fi
+        if [ "$type" = "directory" ]; then
+            echo rm -rf \"$destination\"
+            echo remove >> "$__messages_out"
+        fi
    ;;
    *)
       echo "Unknown state: $state_should" >&2