diff --git a/README.profile.rst b/README.profile.rst
index 7680628..c22e7bb 100644
--- a/README.profile.rst
+++ b/README.profile.rst
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ The image file is constructed from some of the variables in **profiledef.sh**: `
   `('-comp' 'xz')` for squashfs).
 * `file_permissions`: An associative array that lists files and/or directories who need specific ownership or
   permissions. The array's keys contain the path and the value is a colon separated list of owner UID, owner GID and
-  access mode. E.g. `file_permissions=(["/etc/shadow"]="0:0:400")`.
+  access mode. E.g. `file_permissions=(["/etc/shadow"]="0:0:400")`. When directories are listed with a trailing backslash ("/") **all** files and directories contained within the listed directory will have the same owner UID, owner GID, and access mode applied recursively.
 
 packages.arch
 =============
diff --git a/archiso/mkarchiso b/archiso/mkarchiso
index 0d7c698..f9c64ac 100755
--- a/archiso/mkarchiso
+++ b/archiso/mkarchiso
@@ -293,8 +293,13 @@ _make_custom_airootfs() {
             elif [[ ! -e "${airootfs_dir}${filename}" ]]; then
                 _msg_warning "Cannot change permissions of '${airootfs_dir}${filename}'. The file or directory does not exist."
             else
-                chown -fh -- "${permissions[0]}:${permissions[1]}" "${airootfs_dir}${filename}"
-                chmod -f -- "${permissions[2]}" "${airootfs_dir}${filename}"
+                if [[ "${filename: -1}" == "/" ]]; then
+                    chown -fhR -- "${permissions[0]}:${permissions[1]}" "${airootfs_dir}${filename}"
+                    chmod -fR -- "${permissions[2]}" "${airootfs_dir}${filename}"
+                else
+                    chown -fh -- "${permissions[0]}:${permissions[1]}" "${airootfs_dir}${filename}"
+                    chmod -f -- "${permissions[2]}" "${airootfs_dir}${filename}"
+                fi
             fi
         done
         _msg_info "Done!"