diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index cace755..3932404 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -9,24 +9,24 @@
 VOLUME $GITBUCKET_HOME/repositories
 VOLUME $GITBUCKET_HOME/plugins
 
-# set environment
-#RUN mkdir $GITBUCKET_HOME
-WORKDIR $GITBUCKET_HOME
-
 # setup
 RUN apk update
-RUN apk add ca-certificates wget
+RUN apk add ca-certificates wget su-exec
+
+# get gitbucket
 RUN wget https://github.com/gitbucket/gitbucket/releases/download/4.13/gitbucket.war -O $GITBUCKET_HOME/latest.war
 
 # clean
 RUN apk del ca-certificates wget
 RUN rm -rf /var/cache/apk/*
 
+# set environment
+WORKDIR $GITBUCKET_HOME
+
 # copy files
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh /
 COPY database.conf ./
-
 RUN chmod +x /docker-entrypoint.sh
 
 ENTRYPOINT ["/docker-entrypoint.sh"]
-CMD java -jar $GITBUCKET_HOME/latest.war --host=$GITBUCKET_HOST --port=$GITBUCKET_PORT --gitbucket.home=$GITBUCKET_HOME
+CMD su-exec gitbucket java -jar $GITBUCKET_HOME/latest.war --host=$GITBUCKET_HOST --port=$GITBUCKET_PORT --gitbucket.home=$GITBUCKET_HOME
diff --git a/docker/docker-entrypoint.sh b/docker/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 6b8305c..b26caf6 100644
--- a/docker/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -e
 
+# check for exisitng user and create it if necessary
+USER_ID=${GITBUCKET_USER_ID:-9000}
+echo "gitbucket user id: $USER_ID"
+if ! id -u gitbucket >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+	echo "create gitbucket user"
+	adduser -u $USER_ID --disabled-password --gecos '' --home ${GITBUCKET_HOME} gitbucket
+fi
+
+# update user rights
+chown -R gitbucket:gitbucket ${GITBUCKET_HOME}
+
 # replace mysql settings in config file
 dbfile=${GITBUCKET_HOME}/database.conf
 sed -i "s/GITBUCKET_DATABASE_NAME/${GITBUCKET_DATABASE_NAME}/" $dbfile