diff --git a/build/rpm/pcp.spec.in b/build/rpm/pcp.spec.in
index 8a7aaa3..e28c3e0 100644
--- a/build/rpm/pcp.spec.in
+++ b/build/rpm/pcp.spec.in
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ Requires: initscripts
 
 Requires: pcp-libs = @package_version@
 
+Requires(pre): shadow-utils
+
 %description
 Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) provides a framework and services to support
 system-level performance monitoring and performance management. 
@@ -173,6 +175,12 @@ Requires: pcp-libs >= @package_version@ perl-PCP-LogImport >= @package_version@
 Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) front-end tools for importing MTRG data
 into standard PCP archive logs for replay with any PCP monitoring tool.
 
+%pre
+getent group pcp >/dev/null || groupadd -r pcp
+getent passwd pcp >/dev/null || useradd -r -g pcp -s /sbin/nologin \
+	-c "Performance Co-Pilot" -d @pcp_log_dir@ pcp
+exit 0
+
 %prep
 %setup -q
 autoconf
@@ -264,8 +272,19 @@ BEGIN {
     else if (import_sheet2pcp[$NF]) f="import_sheet2pcp_files.rpm";
     else if (import_mrtg2pcp[$NF]) f="import_mrtg2pcp_files.rpm";
     else f="base_files.rpm"
+
+    if (index($NF, "'$PCP_LOG_DIR'") ||
+    	index($NF, "'$PCP_VAR_DIR'") ||
+    	index($NF, "'$PCP_RUN_DIR'")) {
+    	user="pcp"
+	group="pcp"
+    } else {
+    	user=$3
+	group=$4
+    }
+	
 }
-$1 == "d" { printf ("%%%%dir %%%%attr(%s,root,root) %s\n", $2, $5) >> f } 
+$1 == "d" { printf ("%%%%dir %%%%attr(%s,%s,%s) %s\n", $2, user, group, $5) >> f } 
 
 $1 == "f" && $6 ~ "etc/pcp.conf" { printf ("%%%%config ") >> f; }
 $1 == "f" {
@@ -278,7 +297,7 @@ $1 == "f" {
 	    if (match ($6, "'$PCP_MAN_DIR'") || match ($6, "'$PCP_DOC_DIR'")) {
 		printf ("%%%%doc ") >> f;
 	    }
-	    printf ("%%%%attr(%s,root,root) %s\n", $2, $6) >> f }
+	    printf ("%%%%attr(%s,%s,%s) %s\n", $2, user, group, $6) >> f }
 $1 == "l" { print "%attr(0777,root,root)", $3 >> f }'
 
 set -x
diff --git a/src/pmcd/rc-proc.sh b/src/pmcd/rc-proc.sh
index fdc24fc..e3993a6 100644
--- a/src/pmcd/rc-proc.sh
+++ b/src/pmcd/rc-proc.sh
@@ -377,3 +377,32 @@ else
 	return 3
     }
 fi
+
+run_as_pcp_user()
+{
+    case "$PCP_PLATFORM"
+    in
+	linux) # run as the pcp user
+	    runuser -g pcp -s /bin/bash pcp -c "$*"
+	    return $?
+	    ;;
+	*) # anything else, just run it
+	    $*
+	    return $?
+	    ;;
+    esac
+}
+
+chown_pcp_user()
+{
+    case "$PCP_PLATFORM"
+    in
+	linux)
+	    chown -Rf pcp:pcp $*
+	    ;;
+	*) # ignore
+	    ;;
+    esac
+
+    return 0
+}
diff --git a/src/pmcd/rc_pcp b/src/pmcd/rc_pcp
index 4f60179..0345dff 100644
--- a/src/pmcd/rc_pcp
+++ b/src/pmcd/rc_pcp
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ _reboot_setup()
     then
 	mkdir -p "$PCP_RUN_DIR"
 	chmod 755 "$PCP_RUN_DIR"
+	chown_pcp_user "$PCP_RUN_DIR"
     fi
 
     # base directories and house-keeping for pmlogger instances
@@ -153,6 +154,7 @@ _reboot_setup()
 	mkdir -p "$PCP_TMP_DIR/mmv"
 	chmod 1777 "$PCP_TMP_DIR/mmv"
     fi
+    chown_pcp_user "$PCP_TMP_DIR/pmlogger"
 
     # Rebuild PMNS?
     #
@@ -174,7 +176,7 @@ _reboot_setup()
 	    $ECHO $PCP_ECHO_N "Performance Co-Pilot rebuilding PMNS ..." "$PCP_ECHO_C"
 	    here=`pwd`
 	    cd $PMNSDIR
-	    ./Rebuild -du $REBUILDOPT
+	    run_as_pcp_user ./Rebuild -du $REBUILDOPT
 	    $RC_STATUS -v
 	    # The 'root' file does not get updated when data did not change,
 	    # so we must touch it to update date.
@@ -207,7 +209,7 @@ _pmda_setup()
 		# 
 		rm -f .NeedInstall.sav
 		mv .NeedInstall .NeedInstall.sav
-		if ./Install </dev/null >/dev/null
+		if run_as_pcp_user ./Install </dev/null >/dev/null
 		then
 		    # success
 		    pmpost "PMDA setup: automated install: $pmda"
@@ -236,7 +238,7 @@ _start_pmcheck()
 
     if pmcd_wait $wait_option
     then
-	pmlogger_check >$tmp.pmcheck 2>&1
+	run_as_pcp_user pmlogger_check >$tmp.pmcheck 2>&1
 	if [ -s $tmp.pmcheck ]
 	then
 	    pmpost "pmlogger_check failed in $pmprog, mailing output to root"
@@ -531,7 +533,7 @@ Error: PMCD control file '"$PCP_PMCDCONF_PATH"' is missing, cannot start PMCD.'
 			    -e 's/ $//' \
 		    | tr '\012' ' ' `
 
-	    $PMCD $OPTS
+	    run_as_pcp_user $PMCD $OPTS
 	    $RC_STATUS -v
 
 	    pmpost "start pmcd from $pmprog"
diff --git a/src/pmie/rc_pmie b/src/pmie/rc_pmie
index 7622e1c..bfcc8e1 100644
--- a/src/pmie/rc_pmie
+++ b/src/pmie/rc_pmie
@@ -98,9 +98,10 @@ _reboot_setup()
 	rm -f $tmp.ent $tmp.pid
 	cd "$here"
     fi
+    chown_pcp_user $PCP_TMP_DIR/pmie
     chmod 1777 $PCP_TMP_DIR/pmie
 
-    [ ! -d $LOGDIR ] && mkdir -p $LOGDIR
+    [ ! -d $LOGDIR ] && mkdir -p $LOGDIR && chown_pcp_user $LOGDIR
 }
 
 _start_pmie()
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ _start_pmie()
 
     if pmcd_wait $wait_option
     then
-	pmie_check >$tmp.pmie 2>&1
+	run_as_pcp_user pmie_check >$tmp.pmie 2>&1
 	if [ -s $tmp.pmie ]
 	then
 	    pmpost "pmie_check start failed in $prog, mailing output to root"
@@ -147,7 +148,7 @@ _shutdown()
 
     $ECHO $PCP_ECHO_N "Waiting for PMIE process(es) to terminate ..." "$PCP_ECHO_C"
 
-    pmie_check -s >$tmp.pmie 2>&1
+    run_as_pcp_user pmie_check -s >$tmp.pmie 2>&1
     if [ -s $tmp.pmie ]
     then
 	pmpost "pmie_check stop failed in $prog, mailing output to root"