diff --git a/gst/shm/gstshmsink.c b/gst/shm/gstshmsink.c
index 03dd3ddcdd..ba8608fa9d 100644
--- a/gst/shm/gstshmsink.c
+++ b/gst/shm/gstshmsink.c
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ gst_shm_sink_set_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
     const GValue * value, GParamSpec * pspec)
 {
   GstShmSink *self = GST_SHM_SINK (object);
+  int ret = 0;
 
   switch (prop_id) {
     case PROP_SOCKET_PATH:
@@ -206,8 +207,12 @@ gst_shm_sink_set_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
     case PROP_PERMS:
       GST_OBJECT_LOCK (object);
       self->perms = g_value_get_uint (value);
-      sp_writer_setperms_shm (self->pipe, self->perms);
+      if (self->pipe)
+        ret = sp_writer_setperms_shm (self->pipe, self->perms);
       GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (object);
+      if (ret < 0)
+        GST_WARNING_OBJECT (object, "Could not set permissions on pipe: %s",
+            strerror (ret));
       break;
     case PROP_SHM_SIZE:
       GST_OBJECT_LOCK (object);
@@ -245,8 +250,14 @@ gst_shm_sink_get_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
       break;
     case PROP_PERMS:
       self->perms = g_value_get_uint (value);
-      if (self->pipe)
-        sp_writer_setperms_shm (self->pipe, self->perms);
+      if (self->pipe) {
+        int ret;
+
+        ret = sp_writer_setperms_shm (self->pipe, self->perms);
+        if (ret < 0)
+          GST_WARNING_OBJECT (object, "Could not set permissions on pipe: %s",
+              strerror (ret));
+      }
       break;
     case PROP_SHM_SIZE:
       g_value_set_uint (value, self->size);
diff --git a/gst/shm/shmpipe.c b/gst/shm/shmpipe.c
index 169600cd79..53fc6df8a0 100644
--- a/gst/shm/shmpipe.c
+++ b/gst/shm/shmpipe.c
@@ -371,11 +371,11 @@ sp_close (ShmPipe * self)
   spalloc_free (ShmPipe, self);
 }
 
-void
+int
 sp_writer_setperms_shm (ShmPipe * self, mode_t perms)
 {
   self->perms = perms;
-  fchmod (self->shm_area->shm_fd, perms);
+  return fchmod (self->shm_area->shm_fd, perms);
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/gst/shm/shmpipe.h b/gst/shm/shmpipe.h
index ed23d20b20..f3657b6769 100644
--- a/gst/shm/shmpipe.h
+++ b/gst/shm/shmpipe.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ ShmPipe *sp_writer_create (const char *path, size_t size, mode_t perms);
 const char *sp_writer_get_path (ShmPipe *pipe);
 void sp_close (ShmPipe * self);
 
-void sp_writer_setperms_shm (ShmPipe * self, mode_t perms);
+int sp_writer_setperms_shm (ShmPipe * self, mode_t perms);
 int sp_writer_resize (ShmPipe * self, size_t size);
 
 int sp_get_fd (ShmPipe * self);