diff --git a/coreutils/mkdir.c b/coreutils/mkdir.c
index a4429b1cb..b33b6bba3 100644
--- a/coreutils/mkdir.c
+++ b/coreutils/mkdir.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ static const char mkdir_longopts[] ALIGN1 =
 int mkdir_main(int argc, char **argv) MAIN_EXTERNALLY_VISIBLE;
 int mkdir_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 {
-	mode_t mode = (mode_t)(-1);
+	long mode = -1;
 	int status = EXIT_SUCCESS;
 	int flags = 0;
 	unsigned opt;
@@ -68,10 +68,11 @@ int mkdir_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 #endif
 	opt = getopt32(argv, "m:p" IF_SELINUX("Z:"), &smode IF_SELINUX(,&scontext));
 	if (opt & 1) {
-		mode = 0777;
-		if (!bb_parse_mode(smode, &mode)) {
+		mode_t mmode = 0777;
+		if (!bb_parse_mode(smode, &mmode)) {
 			bb_error_msg_and_die("invalid mode '%s'", smode);
 		}
+		mode = mmode;
 	}
 	if (opt & 2)
 		flags |= FILEUTILS_RECUR;