diff --git a/lib/daemon-unix.c b/lib/daemon-unix.c
index d52ac2d..44eb800 100644
--- a/lib/daemon-unix.c
+++ b/lib/daemon-unix.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <grp.h>
+#include <pwd.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -693,6 +694,76 @@ should_service_stop(void)
     return false;
 }
 
+void daemon_set_new_user(const char *user_spec)
+{
+    char *pos = strchr(user_spec, ':');
+
+    uid = getuid();
+    gid = getgid();
+
+    if (gid || uid) {
+        VLOG_FATAL("%s: only root can use --user option", pidfile);
+    }
+
+    user_spec += strspn(user_spec, " \t\r\n");
+    int len = pos ? pos - user_spec : strlen(user_spec);
+    struct passwd pwd, *res;
+    char buf[4096];
+
+    if (len) {
+        user = xzalloc(len + 1);
+        strncpy(user, user_spec, len);
+
+        if (getpwnam_r(user, &pwd, buf, 4096, &res)) {
+            VLOG_FATAL("%s: Invalid --user option %s (no such user %s)",
+                       pidfile, user_spec, user);
+        }
+    } else {
+        /* User is not specified, use current user.  */
+        if (getpwuid_r(uid, &pwd, buf, 4096, &res)) {
+            VLOG_FATAL("%s: Invalid --user option %s (failed to lookup "
+                       "current user with uid %d)", pidfile, user_spec, uid);
+        }
+        user = strdup(pwd.pw_name);
+    }
+
+    uid = pwd.pw_uid;
+    gid = pwd.pw_gid;
+
+    if (pos) {
+        char *grpstr = pos + 1;
+        grpstr += strspn(grpstr, " \t\r\n");
+
+        if (*grpstr) {
+            struct group grp, *res;
+
+            if(getgrnam_r(grpstr, &grp, buf, 4096, &res)) {
+                VLOG_FATAL("%s: Invalid --user option %s (unknown group %s)",
+                           pidfile, user_spec, grpstr);
+            }
+
+            if(gid != grp.gr_gid) {
+                char **mem;
+
+                for(mem = grp.gr_mem; *mem; ++mem) {
+                    if (!strcmp(*mem, user)) {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+
+                if (!*mem) {
+                    VLOG_FATAL("%s: Invalid --user option %s (user %s is "
+                               "not in group %s)", pidfile, user_spec,
+                               user, grpstr);
+                }
+                gid = grp.gr_gid;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    switch_to_new_user = true;
+}
+
 void
 daemon_become_new_user(void)
 {
diff --git a/lib/daemon.h b/lib/daemon.h
index fb97cde..4b25f46 100644
--- a/lib/daemon.h
+++ b/lib/daemon.h
@@ -42,14 +42,16 @@
     OPT_NO_CHDIR,                               \
     OPT_OVERWRITE_PIDFILE,                      \
     OPT_PIDFILE,                                \
-    OPT_MONITOR
+    OPT_MONITOR,                                \
+    OPT_USER_GROUP
 
-#define DAEMON_LONG_OPTIONS                                             \
-        {"detach",            no_argument, NULL, OPT_DETACH},           \
-        {"no-chdir",          no_argument, NULL, OPT_NO_CHDIR},         \
-        {"pidfile",           optional_argument, NULL, OPT_PIDFILE},    \
+#define DAEMON_LONG_OPTIONS                                              \
+        {"detach",            no_argument, NULL, OPT_DETACH},            \
+        {"no-chdir",          no_argument, NULL, OPT_NO_CHDIR},          \
+        {"pidfile",           optional_argument, NULL, OPT_PIDFILE},     \
         {"overwrite-pidfile", no_argument, NULL, OPT_OVERWRITE_PIDFILE}, \
-        {"monitor",           no_argument, NULL, OPT_MONITOR}
+        {"monitor",           no_argument, NULL, OPT_MONITOR},           \
+        {"user",              required_argument, NULL, OPT_USER_GROUP}
 
 #define DAEMON_OPTION_HANDLERS                  \
         case OPT_DETACH:                        \
@@ -70,6 +72,10 @@
                                                 \
         case OPT_MONITOR:                       \
             daemon_set_monitor();               \
+            break;                              \
+                                                \
+        case OPT_USER_GROUP:                    \
+            daemon_set_new_user(optarg);        \
             break;
 
 void set_detach(void);
@@ -77,6 +83,7 @@ void daemon_set_monitor(void);
 void set_no_chdir(void);
 void ignore_existing_pidfile(void);
 void daemon_become_new_user(void);
+void daemon_set_new_user(const char *);
 pid_t read_pidfile(const char *name);
 #else
 #define DAEMON_OPTION_ENUMS                    \
@@ -85,7 +92,7 @@ pid_t read_pidfile(const char *name);
     OPT_PIDFILE,                               \
     OPT_PIPE_HANDLE,                           \
     OPT_SERVICE,                               \
-    OPT_SERVICE_MONITOR
+    OPT_SERVICE_MONITOR                        \
 
 #define DAEMON_LONG_OPTIONS                                               \
         {"detach",             no_argument, NULL, OPT_DETACH},            \
@@ -120,6 +127,12 @@ void control_handler(DWORD request);
 void set_pipe_handle(const char *pipe_handle);
 
 static inline void
+daemon_set_new_user(const char *)
+{
+    /* Not implemented. */
+}
+
+static inline void
 daemon_become_new_user(void)
 { 
     /* Not implemented. */
