diff --git a/libs/Smarty.class.php b/libs/Smarty.class.php
index 2d0856b7..8c9cca28 100644
--- a/libs/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/libs/Smarty.class.php
@@ -646,21 +646,7 @@ class Smarty extends Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase
      * @var int
      */
     public $start_time = 0;
-
-    /**
-     * default file permissions
-     *
-     * @var int
-     */
-    public $_file_perms = 0644;
-
-    /**
-     * default dir permissions
-     *
-     * @var int
-     */
-    public $_dir_perms = 0771;
-
+    
     /**
      * required by the compiler for BC
      *
diff --git a/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_write_file.php b/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_write_file.php
index 9ecc7c0c..fb2fcedd 100644
--- a/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_write_file.php
+++ b/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_write_file.php
@@ -29,14 +29,16 @@ class Smarty_Internal_Write_File
     {
         $_error_reporting = error_reporting();
         error_reporting($_error_reporting & ~E_NOTICE & ~E_WARNING);
-        if ($smarty->_file_perms !== null) {
+        $_file_perms = property_exists($smarty, '_file_perms') ? $smarty->_file_perms : 0644;
+        $_dir_perms = property_exists($smarty, '_dir_perms') ? (isset($smarty->_dir_perms) ? $smarty->_dir_perms : 0777)  : 0771;
+        if ($_file_perms !== null) {
             $old_umask = umask(0);
         }
 
         $_dirpath = dirname($_filepath);
         // if subdirs, create dir structure
         if ($_dirpath !== '.' && !file_exists($_dirpath)) {
-            mkdir($_dirpath, $smarty->_dir_perms === null ? 0777 : $smarty->_dir_perms, true);
+            mkdir($_dirpath, $_dir_perms, true);
         }
 
         // write to tmp file, then move to overt file lock race condition
@@ -76,9 +78,9 @@ class Smarty_Internal_Write_File
             error_reporting($_error_reporting);
             throw new SmartyException("unable to write file {$_filepath}");
         }
-        if ($smarty->_file_perms !== null) {
+        if ($_file_perms !== null) {
             // set file permissions
-            chmod($_filepath, $smarty->_file_perms);
+            chmod($_filepath, $_file_perms);
             umask($old_umask);
         }
         error_reporting($_error_reporting);