diff --git prosody/util/prosodyctl/cert.lua prosody/util/prosodyctl/cert.lua

index 02c8158..f5d7455 100644

--- prosody/util/prosodyctl/cert.lua

+++ prosody/util/prosodyctl/cert.lua

@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ function cert_commands.import(arg)

 	end

 	local owner, group;

 	if pposix.getuid() == 0 then -- We need root to change ownership

-		owner = configmanager.get("*", "prosody_user") or "prosody";

+		owner = configmanager.get("*", "prosody_user") or "_prosody";

 		group = configmanager.get("*", "prosody_group") or owner;

 	end

 	local cm = require "core.certmanager";

diff --git prosody/util/startup.lua prosody/util/startup.lua

index ce14df7..9da0ba6 100644

--- prosody/util/startup.lua

+++ prosody/util/startup.lua

@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ function startup.switch_user()

 		local arg_root = prosody.opts.root;

 		if prosody.current_uid == 0 and config.get("*", "run_as_root") ~= true and not arg_root then

 			-- We haz root!

-			local desired_user = config.get("*", "prosody_user") or "prosody";

+			local desired_user = config.get("*", "prosody_user") or "_prosody";

 			local desired_group = config.get("*", "prosody_group") or desired_user;

 			local ok, err = pposix.setgid(desired_group);

 			if ok then