diff --git a/src/caffe/util/io.cpp b/src/caffe/util/io.cpp
index 122d1a77a77..44858f48a36 100644
--- a/src/caffe/util/io.cpp
+++ b/src/caffe/util/io.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ bool ReadProtoFromTextFile(const char* filename, Message* proto) {
 }
 
 void WriteProtoToTextFile(const Message& proto, const char* filename) {
-  int fd = open(filename, O_WRONLY);
+  int fd = open(filename, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC, 0644);
   FileOutputStream* output = new FileOutputStream(fd);
   CHECK(google::protobuf::TextFormat::Print(proto, output));
   delete output;
diff --git a/tools/upgrade_net_proto_text.cpp b/tools/upgrade_net_proto_text.cpp
index aefdc7e2961..8a77f752cc2 100644
--- a/tools/upgrade_net_proto_text.cpp
+++ b/tools/upgrade_net_proto_text.cpp
@@ -44,13 +44,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
   NetParameterPrettyPrint net_param_pretty;
   NetParameterToPrettyPrint(net_param, &net_param_pretty);
 
-  // TODO(jdonahue): figure out why WriteProtoToTextFile doesn't work
-  // (no file is created).
-  // WriteProtoToTextFile(net_param_pretty, argv[2]);
-  ofstream output_proto;
-  output_proto.open(argv[2]);
-  output_proto << net_param_pretty.DebugString();
-  output_proto.close();
+  // Save new format prototxt.
+  WriteProtoToTextFile(net_param_pretty, argv[2]);
 
   LOG(ERROR) << "Wrote upgraded NetParameter text proto to " << argv[2];
   return !success;