diff --git a/script/fetchneedles b/script/fetchneedles
index 9d15d8572..3f568c859 100755
--- a/script/fetchneedles
+++ b/script/fetchneedles
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh -e
-: "${dbuser:="geekotest"}"
+: "${dbuser:="_geekotest"}"
 : "${dbgroup:="www"}"
 
 : "${dist_name:=${dist:-"openSUSE"}}" # the display name, for the help message
diff --git a/systemd/openqa-gru.service b/systemd/openqa-gru.service
index 891c93c9b..61c166bea 100644
--- a/systemd/openqa-gru.service
+++ b/systemd/openqa-gru.service
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ After=postgresql.service openqa-setup-db.service
 Wants=openqa-setup-db.service
 
 [Service]
-User=geekotest
+User=_geekotest
 ExecStart=/usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-gru
 Nice=19
 Restart=on-failure
diff --git a/systemd/openqa-livehandler.service b/systemd/openqa-livehandler.service
index 58dd45930..641284b8a 100644
--- a/systemd/openqa-livehandler.service
+++ b/systemd/openqa-livehandler.service
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ After=postgresql.service nss-lookup.target remote-fs.target
 Requires=openqa-webui.service
 
 [Service]
-User=geekotest
+User=_geekotest
 ExecStart=/usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-livehandler-daemon
 
 [Install]
diff --git a/systemd/openqa-scheduler.service b/systemd/openqa-scheduler.service
index 8dda45d1e..e81d42cf0 100644
--- a/systemd/openqa-scheduler.service
+++ b/systemd/openqa-scheduler.service
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ After=postgresql.service openqa-setup-db.service nss-lookup.target remote-fs.tar
 Wants=openqa-setup-db.service
 
 [Service]
-User=geekotest
+User=_geekotest
 ExecStart=/usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-scheduler-daemon
 TimeoutStopSec=120
 
diff --git a/systemd/openqa-websockets.service b/systemd/openqa-websockets.service
index 1fa289041..841e2955e 100644
--- a/systemd/openqa-websockets.service
+++ b/systemd/openqa-websockets.service
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Before=apache2.service openqa-webui.service
 After=openqa-scheduler.service postgresql.service openqa-setup-db.service network.target nss-lookup.target remote-fs.target
 
 [Service]
-User=geekotest
+User=_geekotest
 ExecStart=/usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-websockets-daemon
 
 [Install]
diff --git a/systemd/openqa-webui.service b/systemd/openqa-webui.service
index d0864916a..a429dcd7d 100644
--- a/systemd/openqa-webui.service
+++ b/systemd/openqa-webui.service
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ After=postgresql.service openqa-setup-db.service openqa-scheduler.service nss-lo
 Requires=openqa-livehandler.service openqa-websockets.service openqa-gru.service openqa-enqueue-asset-cleanup.timer openqa-enqueue-result-cleanup.timer openqa-enqueue-bug-cleanup.timer
 
 [Service]
-User=geekotest
+User=_geekotest
 ExecStart=/usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-webui-daemon
 
 [Install]
diff --git a/systemd/openqa-enqueue-audit-event-cleanup.service b/systemd/openqa-enqueue-audit-event-cleanup.service
index fd4abdfe4..948a67353 100644
--- a/systemd/openqa-enqueue-audit-event-cleanup.service
+++ b/systemd/openqa-enqueue-audit-event-cleanup.service
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ Wants=openqa-setup-db.service
 
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
-User=geekotest
+User=_geekotest
 ExecStart=/usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-enqueue-audit-event-cleanup
diff --git a/systemd/openqa-enqueue-asset-cleanup.service b/systemd/openqa-enqueue-asset-cleanup.service
index 2f09ab73b..921d78201 100644
--- a/systemd/openqa-enqueue-asset-cleanup.service
+++ b/systemd/openqa-enqueue-asset-cleanup.service
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ Wants=openqa-setup-db.service
 
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
-User=geekotest
+User=_geekotest
 ExecStart=/usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-enqueue-asset-cleanup
diff --git a/systemd/openqa-enqueue-bug-cleanup.service b/systemd/openqa-enqueue-bug-cleanup.service
index 3fe7f869f..b93fc1974 100644
--- a/systemd/openqa-enqueue-bug-cleanup.service
+++ b/systemd/openqa-enqueue-bug-cleanup.service
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ Wants=openqa-setup-db.service
 
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
-User=geekotest
+User=_geekotest
 ExecStart=/usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-enqueue-bug-cleanup
diff --git a/container/webui/Dockerfile b/container/webui/Dockerfile
index 3cd3e3e49..fdd1f21fb 100644
--- a/container/webui/Dockerfile
+++ b/container/webui/Dockerfile
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ RUN rm -rf /etc/openqa/openqa.ini /etc/openqa/client.conf \
     ln -s /data/tests /var/lib/openqa/share/tests && \
     ln -s /data/testresults /var/lib/openqa/testresults && \
     ln -s /data/images /var/lib/openqa/images && \
-    chown -R geekotest /usr/share/openqa /var/lib/openqa /var/log/openqa && \
+    chown -R _geekotest /usr/share/openqa /var/lib/openqa /var/log/openqa && \
     chmod ug+rw /usr/share/openqa /var/lib/openqa /var/log/openqa && \
     find /usr/share/openqa /var/lib/openqa /var/log/openqa -type d -exec chmod ug+x {} \;
 
diff --git a/container/webui/run_openqa.sh b/container/webui/run_openqa.sh
index c07cc0952..76844e99e 100644
--- a/container/webui/run_openqa.sh
+++ b/container/webui/run_openqa.sh
@@ -8,30 +8,30 @@ function wait_for_db_creation() {
 
 function upgradedb() {
   wait_for_db_creation
-  su geekotest -c '/usr/share/openqa/script/upgradedb --upgrade_database'
+  su _geekotest -c '/usr/share/openqa/script/upgradedb --upgrade_database'
 }
 
 function scheduler() {
-  su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-scheduler-daemon
+  su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-scheduler-daemon
 }
 
 function websockets() {
-  su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-websockets-daemon
+  su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-websockets-daemon
 }
 
 function gru() {
   wait_for_db_creation
-  su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-gru
+  su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-gru
 }
 
 function livehandler() {
   wait_for_db_creation
-  su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-livehandler-daemon
+  su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-livehandler-daemon
 }
 
 function webui() {
   wait_for_db_creation
-  su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-webui-daemon
+  su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-webui-daemon
 }
 
 function all_together_apache() {
@@ -51,15 +51,15 @@ function all_together_apache() {
   fi
 
   # run services and apache2
-  su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-scheduler-daemon &
-  su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-websockets-daemon &
-  su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-gru &
-  su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-livehandler-daemon &
+  su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-scheduler-daemon &
+  su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-websockets-daemon &
+  su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-gru &
+  su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-livehandler-daemon &
   apache2ctl start
-  su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-webui-daemon
+  su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-webui-daemon
 }
 
-usermod --shell /bin/sh geekotest
+usermod --shell /bin/sh _geekotest
 
 # run services
 case "$MODE" in
diff --git a/script/openqa-bootstrap b/script/openqa-bootstrap
index 8cea841d3..cf307224f 100755
--- a/script/openqa-bootstrap
+++ b/script/openqa-bootstrap
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 set -xeuo pipefail
 
 dbname="${dbname:="openqa"}"
-dbuser="${dbuser:="geekotest"}"
+dbuser="${dbuser:="_geekotest"}"
 running_systemd=
 skip_suse_specifics="${skip_suse_specifics:=""}"
 skip_suse_tests="${skip_suse_tests:=""}"
@@ -113,16 +113,16 @@ grep -q "$(hostname)" /etc/hosts || echo "127.0.0.1 $(hostname)" >> /etc/hosts
 
 # start daemons
 if [ -z "$running_systemd" ]; then
-    pgrep -f openqa-scheduler-daemon >/dev/null || su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-scheduler-daemon &
-    pgrep -f openqa-websockets-daemon >/dev/null || su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-websockets-daemon &
-    pgrep -f openqa-gru >/dev/null || su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-gru &
-    pgrep -f openqa-livehandler-daemon >/dev/null || su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-livehandler-daemon &
+    pgrep -f openqa-scheduler-daemon >/dev/null || su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-scheduler-daemon &
+    pgrep -f openqa-websockets-daemon >/dev/null || su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-websockets-daemon &
+    pgrep -f openqa-gru >/dev/null || su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-gru &
+    pgrep -f openqa-livehandler-daemon >/dev/null || su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-livehandler-daemon &
     if [[ $setup_web_proxy == "nginx" ]] ; then
         nginx
     else
         /usr/sbin/start_apache2 -k start
     fi
-    pgrep -f openqa-webui-daemon >/dev/null || su geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-webui-daemon &
+    pgrep -f openqa-webui-daemon >/dev/null || su _geekotest -c /usr/share/openqa/script/openqa-webui-daemon &
 else
     if [[ $setup_web_proxy == "nginx" ]] ; then
         systemctl enable --now nginx

diff --git a/script/setup-db b/script/setup-db
index 445db5607..a9019fc6d 100755
--- a/script/setup-db
+++ b/script/setup-db
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh -e
 [ "$1" = "-h" ] || [ "$1" = "--help" ] && echo "Create local database with user for a local openQA instance" && exit
 
-dbuser="${1:-"geekotest"}"
+dbuser="${1:-"_geekotest"}"
 dbname="${2:-"openqa"}"
 # prevent "could not change directory, permission denied"
 cd "$HOME"