diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index ead94d3..1a81d71 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ RUN ln -snf /usr/share/zoneinfo/${TZ} /etc/localtime && echo ${TZ} > /etc/timezo
 
 # copy startup script & DB checking script
 COPY assets/startup.sh /startup.sh
+COPY assets/service.sh /service.sh
 COPY assets/self-test.sh /self-test.sh
 COPY assets/dbtest.php /dbtest.php
 
@@ -250,6 +251,8 @@ ENV COMPOSER_MEMORY_LIMIT=-1
 # If this set then the image will start, run a self test and then exit. It's used for the release process
 ENV TEST_AND_EXIT=
 ENV COMPOSER_ALLOW_SUPERUSER=1
+ENV USER_ID=1000
+ENV GROUP_ID=1000
 
 VOLUME [ "/opt/kimai/var" ]
 
@@ -284,7 +287,6 @@ RUN \
 ENV APP_ENV=dev
 ENV DATABASE_URL=
 ENV memory_limit=256
-USER www-data
 
 # production build
 FROM base AS prod
@@ -308,4 +310,3 @@ RUN \
 ENV APP_ENV=prod
 ENV DATABASE_URL=
 ENV memory_limit=128
-USER www-data
diff --git a/assets/service.sh b/assets/service.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..99d78e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/service.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+#!/bin/bash -x
+
+function waitForDB() {
+  # Parse sql connection data
+  if [ ! -z "$DATABASE_URL" ]; then
+    DB_TYPE=$(awk -F '[/:@]' '{print $1}' <<< "$DATABASE_URL")
+    DB_USER=$(awk -F '[/:@]' '{print $4}' <<< "$DATABASE_URL")
+    DB_PASS=$(awk -F '[/:@]' '{print $5}' <<< "$DATABASE_URL")
+    DB_HOST=$(awk -F '[/:@]' '{print $6}' <<< "$DATABASE_URL")
+    DB_PORT=$(awk -F '[/:@]' '{print $7}' <<< "$DATABASE_URL")
+    DB_BASE=$(awk -F '[/?]' '{print $4}' <<< "$DATABASE_URL")
+  else
+    DB_TYPE=${DB_TYPE:mysql}
+    if [ "$DB_TYPE" == "mysql" ]; then
+      export DATABASE_URL="${DB_TYPE}://${DB_USER:=kimai}:${DB_PASS:=kimai}@${DB_HOST:=sqldb}:${DB_PORT:=3306}/${DB_BASE:=kimai}"
+    else
+      echo "Unknown database type, cannot proceed. Only 'mysql' is supported, received: [$DB_TYPE]"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+  fi
+
+  re='^[0-9]+$'
+  if ! [[ $DB_PORT =~ $re ]] ; then
+     DB_PORT=3306
+  fi
+
+  echo "Wait for MySQL DB connection ..."
+  until php /dbtest.php $DB_HOST $DB_BASE $DB_PORT $DB_USER $DB_PASS; do
+    echo Checking DB: $?
+    sleep 3
+  done
+  echo "Connection established"
+}
+
+function handleStartup() {
+  # These are idempotent, run them anyway
+  /opt/kimai/bin/console -n kimai:install
+  /opt/kimai/bin/console -n kimai:update
+  if [ ! -z "$ADMINPASS" ] && [ ! -a "$ADMINMAIL" ]; then
+    /opt/kimai/bin/console kimai:create-user superadmin "$ADMINMAIL" ROLE_SUPER_ADMIN "$ADMINPASS"
+  fi
+  echo "$KIMAI" > /opt/kimai/var/installed
+  echo "Kimai2 ready"
+}
+
+function runServer() {
+  /opt/kimai/bin/console kimai:reload --env="$APP_ENV"
+  if [ -e /use_apache ]; then
+    /usr/sbin/apache2ctl -D FOREGROUND
+  elif [ -e /use_fpm ]; then
+    exec php-fpm
+  else
+    echo "Error, unknown server type"
+  fi
+}
+
+waitForDB
+handleStartup
+runServer
+exit
diff --git a/assets/startup.sh b/assets/startup.sh
index 0139c85..187c7e2 100755
--- a/assets/startup.sh
+++ b/assets/startup.sh
@@ -1,81 +1,65 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/bin/bash -x
 
-echo $KIMAI
+# shellcheck disable=SC2155
+export KIMAI=$(/opt/kimai/bin/console kimai:version --short)
+echo "***********************************************"
+echo "STARTING KIMAI VERSION ${KIMAI} in ${APP_ENV}"
+echo "***********************************************"
 
-function waitForDB() {
-  # Parse sql connection data
-  if [ ! -z "$DATABASE_URL" ]; then
-    DB_TYPE=$(awk -F '[/:@]' '{print $1}' <<< $DATABASE_URL)
-    DB_USER=$(awk -F '[/:@]' '{print $4}' <<< $DATABASE_URL)
-    DB_PASS=$(awk -F '[/:@]' '{print $5}' <<< $DATABASE_URL)
-    DB_HOST=$(awk -F '[/:@]' '{print $6}' <<< $DATABASE_URL)
-    DB_PORT=$(awk -F '[/:@]' '{print $7}' <<< $DATABASE_URL)
-    DB_BASE=$(awk -F '[/?]' '{print $4}' <<< $DATABASE_URL)
-  else
-    DB_TYPE=${DB_TYPE:mysql}
-    if [ "$DB_TYPE" == "mysql" ]; then
-      export DATABASE_URL="${DB_TYPE}://${DB_USER:=kimai}:${DB_PASS:=kimai}@${DB_HOST:=sqldb}:${DB_PORT:=3306}/${DB_BASE:=kimai}"
-    else
-      echo "Unknown database type, cannot proceed. Only 'mysql' is supported, received: [$DB_TYPE]"
-      exit 1
-    fi
-  fi
 
-  re='^[0-9]+$'
-  if ! [[ $DB_PORT =~ $re ]] ; then
-     DB_PORT=3306
+function config() {
+  # set mem limits and copy in custom logger config
+  if [ -z "$memory_limit" ]; then
+    memory_limit=256
   fi
 
-  echo "Wait for MySQL DB connection ..."
-  until php /dbtest.php $DB_HOST $DB_BASE $DB_PORT $DB_USER $DB_PASS; do
-    echo Checking DB: $?
-    sleep 3
-  done
-  echo "Connection established"
-}
-
-function handleStartup() {
-  # set mem limits and copy in custom logger config
   if [ "${APP_ENV}" == "prod" ]; then
     sed "s/128M/${memory_limit}M/g" /usr/local/etc/php/php.ini-production > /usr/local/etc/php/php.ini
     if [ "${KIMAI:0:1}" -lt "2" ]; then
       cp /assets/monolog-prod.yaml /opt/kimai/config/packages/monolog.yaml
     else
-      assets/monolog.yaml /opt/kimai/config/packages/monolog.yaml
+      cp /assets/monolog.yaml /opt/kimai/config/packages/monolog.yaml
     fi
   else
     sed "s/128M/${memory_limit}M/g" /usr/local/etc/php/php.ini-development > /usr/local/etc/php/php.ini
     if [ "${KIMAI:0:1}" -lt "2" ]; then
       cp /assets/monolog-dev.yaml /opt/kimai/config/packages/monolog.yaml
     else
-      assets/monolog.yaml /opt/kimai/config/packages/monolog.yaml
+      cp /assets/monolog.yaml /opt/kimai/config/packages/monolog.yaml
     fi
   fi
 
-  # These are idempotent, run them anyway
   tar -zx -C /opt/kimai -f /var/tmp/public.tgz 
-  /opt/kimai/bin/console -n kimai:install
-  /opt/kimai/bin/console -n kimai:update
-  if [ ! -z "$ADMINPASS" ] && [ ! -a "$ADMINMAIL" ]; then
-    /opt/kimai/bin/console kimai:create-user superadmin $ADMINMAIL ROLE_SUPER_ADMIN $ADMINPASS
+  
+  if [ -z "$USER_ID" ]; then
+    USER_ID=$(id -u www-data)
+  fi
+  if [ -z "$GROUP_ID" ]; then
+    GROUP_ID=$(id -g www-data)
   fi
-  export KIMAI=$(/opt/kimai/bin/console kimai:version --short)
-  echo $KIMAI > /opt/kimai/var/installed
-  echo "Kimai2 ready"
-}
 
-function runServer() {
-  /opt/kimai/bin/console kimai:reload --env=$APP_ENV
-  if [ -e /use_apache ]; then
-    /usr/sbin/apache2ctl -D FOREGROUND
-  elif [ -e /use_fpm ]; then
-    exec php-fpm
+  chown -R $USER_ID:$GROUP_ID /opt/kimai/var
+
+  # if user doesn't exist
+  if id $USER_ID &>/dev/null; then
+    echo User already exists
   else
-    echo "Error, unknown server type"
+    echo www-kimai:x:$USER_ID:$GROUP_ID:www-kimai:/var/www:/usr/sbin/nologin >> /etc/passwd
+    echo www-data:x:33: >> /etc/group
+    pwconv
+  fi
+
+  if [ -e /use_apache ]; then         
+    export APACHE_RUN_USER=$(id -nu 33)
+    export APACHE_RUN_GROUP=$(id -ng 33)
+  elif [ -e /use_fpm ]; then         
+    sed -i "s/user = .*/user = $USER_ID/g" /usr/local/etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf
+    sed -i "s/group = .*/group = $GROUP_ID/g" /usr/local/etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf
+  else                                                        
+    echo "Error, unknown server type"                         
   fi
 }
 
-waitForDB
-handleStartup
-runServer
+config
+/service.sh
 exit
diff --git a/compose/docker-compose.apache.cli.yml b/compose/docker-compose.apache.cli.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f71651
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compose/docker-compose.apache.cli.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+version: '3.5'
+services:
+
+  sqldb:
+    image: mysql:5.7
+    environment:
+      - MYSQL_DATABASE=kimai
+      - MYSQL_USER=kimaiuser
+      - MYSQL_PASSWORD=kimaipassword
+      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=changemeplease
+    command: --default-storage-engine innodb
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    healthcheck:
+      test: mysqladmin -p$$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD ping -h localhost
+      interval: 20s
+      start_period: 10s
+      timeout: 10s
+      retries: 3
+
+  kimai:
+    image: kimai/kimai2:apache-dev
+    ports:
+      - 8001:8001
+    environment:
+      - ADMINMAIL=admin@kimai.local
+      - ADMINPASS=changemeplease
+      - DATABASE_URL=mysql://kimaiuser:kimaipassword@sqldb/kimai
+      - TRUSTED_HOSTS=nginx,localhost,127.0.0.1
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    entrypoint: sh
+    stdin_open: true # docker run -i
+    tty: true        # docker run -t
+
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 02f196b..1dd27ca 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ services:
       - ADMINPASS=changemeplease
       - DATABASE_URL=mysql://kimaiuser:kimaipassword@sqldb/kimai
       - TRUSTED_HOSTS=nginx,localhost,127.0.0.1
+      - USER_ID=1009
+      - GROUP_ID=1009
     volumes:
       - public:/opt/kimai/public
       # - var:/opt/kimai/var
diff --git a/docs/runtime-args.md b/docs/runtime-args.md
index cf446c4..ec25d9a 100644
--- a/docs/runtime-args.md
+++ b/docs/runtime-args.md
@@ -34,6 +34,15 @@ ADMINPASS=
 ADMINMAIL=
 ```
 
+## Changing UID and GID
+
+It is possible to set the user that FPM or Apache run as. If the user does not exist a new user called www-kimai is created and the server is then run under that user.
+
+```bash
+USER_ID=1000
+GROUP_ID=1000
+```
+
 ## Alternate DB config
 
 It is possible to pass the DB config in individual values.  If the ENV variable ```DB_TYPE``` is set then the following values will be expected: