diff --git a/dist/ubuntu/debian/scylla-jmx.init b/dist/ubuntu/debian/scylla-jmx.init
index 733c01e..70d16e0 100644
--- a/dist/ubuntu/debian/scylla-jmx.init
+++ b/dist/ubuntu/debian/scylla-jmx.init
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ do_start()
 	#   0 if daemon has been started
 	#   1 if daemon was already running
 	#   other if daemon could not be started or a failure occured
-	start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --make-pidfile --background --exec $DAEMON
+	start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --make-pidfile --background --user scylla --exec $DAEMON
 }
 
 do_stop()
diff --git a/dist/ubuntu/debian/scylla-jmx.upstart b/dist/ubuntu/debian/scylla-jmx.upstart
index 9097c31..f264c14 100644
--- a/dist/ubuntu/debian/scylla-jmx.upstart
+++ b/dist/ubuntu/debian/scylla-jmx.upstart
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ umask 022
 
 console log
 
+setuid scylla
+setgid scylla
+
 script
     . /etc/default/scylla-jmx
     export SCYLLA_HOME SCYLLA_CONF