diff --git a/backend/windmill-api/src/folders.rs b/backend/windmill-api/src/folders.rs
index 463e016326..7d8d14269a 100644
--- a/backend/windmill-api/src/folders.rs
+++ b/backend/windmill-api/src/folders.rs
@@ -169,38 +169,39 @@ async fn create_folder(
     check_name_conflict(&mut tx, &w_id, &ng.name).await?;
     cache.invalidate(&w_id, token).await;
     let owner = username_to_permissioned_as(&authed.username);
-    let owners = &ng.owners.unwrap_or_else(|| vec![owner.clone()]);
+    let owners = ng.owners.unwrap_or_else(|| vec![owner.clone()]);
+    let owners = if owners.contains(&owner) {
+        owners.clone()
+    } else {
+        owners
+            .iter()
+            .cloned()
+            .chain(std::iter::once(owner))
+            .collect()
+    };
 
-    if let Some(extra_perms) = ng.extra_perms.clone() {
-        for o in owners {
-            if !extra_perms
-                .get(&o)
-                .and_then(|x| x.as_bool())
-                .unwrap_or(false)
-            {
-                return Err(windmill_common::error::Error::BadRequest(format!(
-                    "Owner {} would not have permission to write to folder and that is an inconsistent state",
-                    o
-                )));
-            }
+    let mut extra_perms = ng
+        .extra_perms
+        .unwrap_or_else(|| serde_json::Value::Object(serde_json::Map::new()));
+
+    if extra_perms.is_object() {
+        let extra_mut = extra_perms.as_object_mut().unwrap();
+        for o in &owners {
+            extra_mut.insert(o.clone(), serde_json::json!(true));
         }
+    } else {
+        return Err(windmill_common::error::Error::BadRequest(format!(
+            "extra_perms must be an object"
+        )));
     }
 
-    let extra_perms = ng.extra_perms.unwrap_or_else(|| {
-        let mut map = serde_json::Map::new();
-        for o in owners {
-            map.insert(o.clone(), serde_json::json!(true));
-        }
-        serde_json::Value::Object(map)
-    });
-
     sqlx::query_as!(
         Folder,
         "INSERT INTO folder (workspace_id, name, display_name, owners, extra_perms) VALUES ($1, $2, $3, $4, $5)",
         w_id,
         ng.name,
         ng.display_name.unwrap_or(ng.name.clone()),
-        owners,
+        &owners,
         extra_perms,
     )
     .execute(&mut *tx)