diff --git a/tavern/tomes/file_tree/main.eldritch b/tavern/tomes/file_tree/main.eldritch
index d4ae34c57..3d2f236e5 100644
--- a/tavern/tomes/file_tree/main.eldritch
+++ b/tavern/tomes/file_tree/main.eldritch
@@ -1,26 +1,65 @@
 block_list = ["/proc", "/sys", "/lib", "/libx32", "/lib32", "/lib64",
               "/boot", "/srv", "/usr", "/snap", "/run", "/dev", "/cores"]
 
+usernfo = sys.get_user()
+windows = sys.is_windows()
+
+def can_read(f):
+    """Return true if the user can read this dir/file
+    """
+    # Bypass until windows perms are implemented
+    if windows:
+        return True
+    
+    PERM_READ = 4
+    f_user = int(f["permissions"][-3]) # User byte
+    f_group = int(f["permissions"][-2]) # Group byte
+    
+    # Check world byte first so it hopefully is fast
+    if int(f["permissions"][-1]) & PERM_READ:
+        return True
+    
+    # Are we root?
+    root = usernfo["euid"]["uid"] == 0
+    
+    # If the user isnt root and the user doesnt own the file, clear the user byte   
+    if not root and f["owner"] not in (usernfo["euid"]["name"], usernfo["uid"]["name"]):
+        f_user = 0
+    
+    # TODO: https://github.com/spellshift/realm/issues/570
+    # Will NOT match any group other than primary until #570 is fixed
+
+    # If the user isnt root and the group doesnt own the file, clear the group byte    
+    if not root and f["group"] not in (str(usernfo["egid"]), str(usernfo["gid"])):
+        f_group = 0
+
+    if (f_group & PERM_READ) | (f_user & PERM_READ):
+        return True
+    return False
+
+def file_list(path,tree, depth=-1):
+    tree="|\t"+tree
+    if depth == 0:
+        return
 
-def file_list(path, tree):
-    tree = f"|\t{tree}"
     files = file.list(path)
     for f in files:
         file_name = f['file_name']
         if path+f['file_name'] in block_list:
-            print(f"Skipping: {path}/{file_name}")
+            print("Skipping: "+path+f['file_name'])
             continue
         if f['type'] == "Directory":
-            print(f"{tree}|---{path}/{file_name}")
-            file_list(f"{path}/{file_name}", tree)
+            print(tree+"|---"+f['file_name']+"/")
+            if can_read(f):
+                file_list(path+"/"+f['file_name'],tree, depth=depth-1)
         if f['type'] == "Link":
-            print(f"{tree}|---{file_name}")
+            print(tree+"|---"+f['file_name'])
         if f['type'] == "File":
-            print(f"{tree}|---{file_name}")
-
+            print(tree+"|---"+f['file_name'])
 
-def main(path):
-    tree = ""
+def main(path, depth=-1):
+    tree=""
+    depth=int(depth)
     if file.is_dir(path):
         print(path+"")
         if path == "/":
diff --git a/tavern/tomes/file_tree/metadata.yml b/tavern/tomes/file_tree/metadata.yml
index 5e42bd14b..0ee0a4c70 100644
--- a/tavern/tomes/file_tree/metadata.yml
+++ b/tavern/tomes/file_tree/metadata.yml
@@ -8,3 +8,7 @@ paramdefs:
   type: string
   label: File path
   placeholder: "/etc/"
+- name: depth
+  type: int
+  label: Recurse Depth
+  placeholder: "3, or -1 for infinite recursion"