diff --git a/package/info b/package/info
index a6f2e47..cb6f46c 100644
--- a/package/info
+++ b/package/info
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 package=s6-overlay-preinit
-version=1.0.3
+version=1.0.4
 category=admin
 package_macro_name=S6_OVERLAY_PREINIT
diff --git a/src/s6-overlay-preinit/s6-overlay-preinit.c b/src/s6-overlay-preinit/s6-overlay-preinit.c
index 430073f..48212db 100644
--- a/src/s6-overlay-preinit/s6-overlay-preinit.c
+++ b/src/s6-overlay-preinit/s6-overlay-preinit.c
@@ -43,21 +43,27 @@ int main (void)
     }
   }
 
-  /* requirement: /var/run/s6 must be owned by current user */
+  /* requirement: /var/run/s6 must be owned by current user,
+   * if (and only if) current user != root */
+  uid_t uid  = getuid() ,
+        gid  = getgid() ,
+        euid = geteuid() ;
+
   struct stat s6stat ;
   if(stat(VAR_RUN_S6, &s6stat) == -1)
   {
     strerr_diefu2sys(111, "stat ", VAR_RUN_S6) ;
   }
 
-  uid_t uid = getuid() ,
-        gid = getgid() ;
   /* only call chown if uid/gid are not from current user */
   if(s6stat.st_uid != uid || s6stat.st_gid != gid) 
   {
-    if (chown(VAR_RUN_S6, uid, gid) == -1)
+    if (euid == 0) /* chown will fail if we're not root */
     {
-      strerr_diefu2sys(111, "chown ", VAR_RUN_S6) ;
+      if (chown(VAR_RUN_S6, uid, gid) == -1)
+      {
+        strerr_diefu2sys(111, "chown ", VAR_RUN_S6) ;
+      }
     }
   }