diff --git a/src/syncgroup-manager.js b/src/syncgroup-manager.js
index d2f4788..f0562fd 100644
--- a/src/syncgroup-manager.js
+++ b/src/syncgroup-manager.js
@@ -71,10 +71,7 @@
       return Promise.all([
         /* TODO(rosswang): this is a very short term hack just because user
          * mount names on ns.dev.v.io don't yet default to Resolve in [...].
-         *
-         * ... maybe not so short-term.
          */
-        this.vanadiumWrapper.setPermissions(this.sgAdmin, basicPerms),
         this.vanadiumWrapper.setPermissions(this.mountNames.user, basicPerms),
         this.vanadiumWrapper.setPermissions(this.mountNames.app, basicPerms)
       ]);
diff --git a/tools/start_services.sh b/tools/start_services.sh
index 3df55a5..4d2030a 100644
--- a/tools/start_services.sh
+++ b/tools/start_services.sh
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
     ${NS_OPT-} \
     --v23.tcp.address=${SYNCBASED_ADDR} \
     --v23.credentials=${CREDS} \
-    --v23.permissions.literal="{\"Admin\":{\"In\":[\"...\"]},\"Write\":{\"In\":[\"...\"]},\"Read\":{\"In\":[\"...\"]},\"Resolve\":{\"In\":[\"...\"]},\"Debug\":{\"In\":[\"...\"]}}"
+    --v23.permissions.literal="{\"Admin\":{\"In\":[\"${BLESSINGS}\"]},\"Write\":{\"In\":[\"${BLESSINGS}\"]},\"Read\":{\"In\":[\"${BLESSINGS}\"]},\"Resolve\":{\"In\":[\"${BLESSINGS}\"]},\"Debug\":{\"In\":[\"...\"]}}"
   tail -f /dev/null  # wait forever
 }
 main "$@"