diff --git a/extensions/linux/index.js b/extensions/linux/index.js
index 08791ba4f..ed98e32db 100644
--- a/extensions/linux/index.js
+++ b/extensions/linux/index.js
@@ -51,6 +51,42 @@ class LinuxExtension extends cli.Extension {
         // we need to remove it manually here via sudo
         return this.ui.sudo(`rm -rf ${path.join(instance.dir, 'content')}`);
     }
+
+    run() {
+        if (os.platform() !== 'linux') {
+            // platform isn't linux, we don't need to to anything
+            return Promise.resolve();
+        }
+
+        let ghostuid, ghostgid;
+
+        try {
+            ghostuid = execa.shellSync('id -u ghost').stdout;
+            ghostgid = execa.shellSync('id -g ghost').stdout;
+        } catch (e) {
+            if (!e.message.match(/no such user/)) {
+                return Promise.reject(new cli.errors.ProcessError(e));
+            }
+
+            // Ghost user doesn't exist, skip
+            return Promise.resolve();
+        }
+
+        let currentuid = process.getuid();
+
+        if (currentuid === parseInt(ghostuid)) {
+            // current user is ghost, continue
+            return Promise.resolve();
+        }
+
+        if (currentuid !== 0) {
+            // we need to be sudo in order to run setuid below
+            return Promise.reject(new cli.errors.SystemError('Because you have set up a "ghost" system user, you must run `ghost run` via sudo.'));
+        }
+
+        process.setuid(parseInt(ghostuid));
+        process.setgid(parseInt(ghostgid));
+    }
 }
 
 module.exports = LinuxExtension;
diff --git a/lib/commands/run.js b/lib/commands/run.js
index 26dfff5d1..15fe753af 100644
--- a/lib/commands/run.js
+++ b/lib/commands/run.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ const spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
 const Command = require('../command');
 
 class RunCommand extends Command {
-    run() {
+    run(argv) {
         // If the user is running this command directly, output a little note
         // telling them they're likely looking for `ghost start`
         if (process.stdin.isTTY) {
@@ -14,25 +14,29 @@ class RunCommand extends Command {
 
         let instance = this.system.getInstance();
 
-        process.env.paths__contentPath = path.join(process.cwd(), 'content');
-
-        this.child = spawn(process.execPath, ['current/index.js'], {
-            cwd: process.cwd(),
-            stdio: [0, 1, 2, 'ipc']
-        });
-
-        this.child.on('error', (error) => {
-            this.ui.fail(error);
-            process.exit(1);
-        });
-
-        this.child.on('message', (message) => {
-            if (message.started) {
-                instance.process.success();
-                return;
-            }
+        if (!instance.config.has('paths.contentPath')) {
+            instance.config.set('paths.contentPath', path.join(instance.dir, 'content')).save();
+        }
 
-            instance.process.error(message.error);
+        return this.system.hook('run', argv).then(() => {
+            this.child = spawn(process.execPath, ['current/index.js'], {
+                cwd: process.cwd(),
+                stdio: [0, 1, 2, 'ipc']
+            });
+
+            this.child.on('error', (error) => {
+                this.ui.fail(error);
+                process.exit(1);
+            });
+
+            this.child.on('message', (message) => {
+                if (message.started) {
+                    instance.process.success();
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                instance.process.error(message.error);
+            });
         });
     }