diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index f196c9e..0bf33a7 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 set -eEuo pipefail
-trap 'echo "Error detected: aborting installation."' ERR
+trap 'echo "Error detected: aborting installation"' ERR
 
 echo "Attempting to autodetect distro ..."
 distro=$(lsb_release -is)
@@ -47,10 +47,20 @@ else
 fi
 sudo chmod +x /etc/containers/startup.sh
 
-if id -u containers; then
-    echo "Configuring user 'containers' ..."
-    
-echo 'Creating "containers" user ...'
-
+# configure containers user
+name=containers
+uid=5000
+subrange="1000000:1000000000"
+if ! getent group $name; then
+    echo "Creating group '$name' ..."
+    groupadd -r -g $uid $name
+fi
+if ! getent passwd $name; then
+    echo "Creating user '$name' ..."
+    useradd -r -u $uid -p '*'-s /sbin/nologin -d /srv/vol -g $name $name
+fi
+echo "Configuring user '$name' ..."
+groupmod -g $uid $name
+usermod -u $uid -p '*' -s /sbin/nologin -d /srv/vol/ -G '' -v $subrange -w $subrange -g $name $name
 
 echo "Install finished successfully."