diff --git a/src/conffile.c b/src/conffile.c
index 030a1161..1799086c 100644
--- a/src/conffile.c
+++ b/src/conffile.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2009-2010 Julien BLACHE <jb@jblache.org>
+ * Copyright (C) 2009-2011 Julien BLACHE <jb@jblache.org>
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
+#include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/utsname.h>
+#include <pwd.h>
 
 #include <errno.h>
 
@@ -96,6 +98,8 @@ static cfg_opt_t toplvl_cfg[] =
 
 cfg_t *cfg;
 uint64_t libhash;
+uid_t runas_uid;
+gid_t runas_gid;
 
 
 static int
@@ -241,6 +245,8 @@ int
 conffile_load(char *file)
 {
   cfg_t *lib;
+  struct passwd *pw;
+  char *runas;
   int ret;
 
   cfg = cfg_init(toplvl_cfg, CFGF_NONE);
@@ -260,6 +266,19 @@ conffile_load(char *file)
       goto out_fail;
     }
 
+  /* Resolve runas username */
+  runas = cfg_getstr(cfg_getsec(cfg, "general"), "uid");
+  pw = getpwnam(runas);
+  if (!pw)
+    {
+      DPRINTF(E_FATAL, L_CONF, "Could not lookup user %s: %s\n", runas, strerror(errno));
+
+      goto out_fail;
+    }
+
+  runas_uid = pw->pw_uid;
+  runas_gid = pw->pw_gid;
+
   lib = cfg_getsec(cfg, "library");
 
   if (cfg_size(lib, "directories") == 0)
diff --git a/src/conffile.h b/src/conffile.h
index b531a603..6b35d0b0 100644
--- a/src/conffile.h
+++ b/src/conffile.h
@@ -2,12 +2,16 @@
 #ifndef __CONFFILE_H__
 #define __CONFFILE_H__
 
+#include <sys/types.h>
+
 #include <confuse.h>
 
 #define CONFFILE   CONFDIR "/forked-daapd.conf"
 
 extern cfg_t *cfg;
 extern uint64_t libhash;
+extern uid_t runas_uid;
+extern gid_t runas_gid;
 
 int
 conffile_load(char *file);