diff --git a/src/disk.sh b/src/disk.sh
index 47bedff..f35a53a 100644
--- a/src/disk.sh
+++ b/src/disk.sh
@@ -634,7 +634,6 @@ addDisk () {
   if [ -f "$DISK_FILE" ]; then
     if ! setOwner "$DISK_FILE"; then
       error "Failed to set the owner for \"$DISK_FILE\" !"
-      exit 77
     fi
   fi
 
diff --git a/src/network.sh b/src/network.sh
index 4705bcc..4422b07 100644
--- a/src/network.sh
+++ b/src/network.sh
@@ -1495,23 +1495,26 @@ configureMAC() {
   container=$(containerID)
 
   if [ -z "$MAC" ]; then
+
     file="$STORAGE/dsm.mac"
-    [ -s "$file" ] && MAC=$(<"$file")
-    MAC="${MAC//[![:print:]]/}"
+
+    if [ -s "$file" ]; then
+      if ! MAC=$(readFile "$file"); then
+        error "Failed to read MAC address from \"$file\" !"
+        exit 28
+      fi
+    fi
 
     if [ -z "$MAC" ]; then
+
       # Generate a Synology-style MAC address based on a stable container identifier when possible.
       MAC=$(echo "$container" | md5sum | sed 's/^\(..\)\(..\)\(..\)\(..\)\(..\).*$/02:11:32:\3:\4:\5/')
 
-      if ! echo "${MAC^^}" > "$file"; then
+      if ! writeFile "${MAC^^}" "$file"; then
         error "Failed to write MAC address to \"$file\" !"
         exit 28
       fi
 
-      if ! setOwner "$file"; then
-        error "Failed to set the owner for \"$file\" !"
-        exit 28
-      fi
     fi
   fi
 
diff --git a/src/utils.sh b/src/utils.sh
index 8bf06b4..8e4ac4e 100644
--- a/src/utils.sh
+++ b/src/utils.sh
@@ -248,14 +248,13 @@ writeFile() {
   local txt="$1"
   local path="$2"
 
-  if ! printf '%s\n' "$txt" >"$path"; then
+  if ! printf '%s\n' "$txt" > "$path"; then
     error "Failed to write file \"$path\" !"
     return 1
   fi
 
   if ! setOwner "$path"; then
-    error "Failed to set the owner for \"$path\" !"
-    return 1
+    warn "failed to set the owner for \"$path\"."
   fi
 
   return 0