Read-only checkboxes clears themselves at account creation

I need a read-only checkbox to be (and stay) enabled when creating a new account. I've got one set up with the correct read-only permissions but it clears/unchecks itself when saving the account. I'm pretty sure it used to work a few months back (before the new customization layout came out?). We've just started using Zoho for real and are integrating new users but this problem is a step back. Thoughts? Thanks