diff --git a/rts/Lua/LuaParser.cpp b/rts/Lua/LuaParser.cpp
index b06d6a7f3cf..2e4b9d84dab 100644
--- a/rts/Lua/LuaParser.cpp
+++ b/rts/Lua/LuaParser.cpp
@@ -674,11 +674,14 @@ int LuaParser::FileExists(lua_State* L)
 	const LuaParser* currentParser = GetLuaParser(L);
 
 	const std::string& filename = luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
+	// filter any modes not within the parser's allowed set
+	const std::string& argModes = luaL_optstring(L, 2, currentParser->accessModes.c_str());
+	const std::string& vfsModes = CFileHandler::AllowModes(argModes, currentParser->accessModes);
 
 	if (!LuaIO::IsSimplePath(filename))
 		return 0;
 
-	lua_pushboolean(L, CFileHandler::FileExists(filename, currentParser->accessModes));
+	lua_pushboolean(L, CFileHandler::FileExists(filename, vfsModes));
 	return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/rts/Lua/LuaVFS.cpp b/rts/Lua/LuaVFS.cpp
index b2c5bd78495..bdd89c61e8d 100644
--- a/rts/Lua/LuaVFS.cpp
+++ b/rts/Lua/LuaVFS.cpp
@@ -239,26 +239,19 @@ int LuaVFS::UnsyncLoadFile(lua_State* L)
 int LuaVFS::FileExists(lua_State* L, bool synced)
 {
 	const std::string& filename = luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
+	const std::string& vfsModes = GetModes(L, 2, synced);
 
 	// FIXME: return 0, keep searches within the Spring directory
 	// the path may point to a file or dir outside of any data-dir
 	// if (!LuaIO::IsSimplePath(filename)) return 0;
 
-	lua_pushboolean(L, CFileHandler::FileExists(filename, GetModes(L, 2, synced)));
+	lua_pushboolean(L, CFileHandler::FileExists(filename, vfsModes));
 	return 1;
 }
 
 
-int LuaVFS::SyncFileExists(lua_State* L)
-{
-	return FileExists(L, true);
-}
-
-
-int LuaVFS::UnsyncFileExists(lua_State* L)
-{
-	return FileExists(L, false);
-}
+int LuaVFS::  SyncFileExists(lua_State* L) { return FileExists(L,  true); }
+int LuaVFS::UnsyncFileExists(lua_State* L) { return FileExists(L, false); }
 
 
 /******************************************************************************/