diff --git a/apache2/bin/start.sh b/apache2/bin/start.sh
index 3b42f36..96748bd 100755
--- a/apache2/bin/start.sh
+++ b/apache2/bin/start.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,49 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
+# Check and read the user and group env vars set by the user
+# Save them for later use as they will be overwritten by the next command
+if [[ -v APACHE_RUN_USER ]]; then
+    APACHE_UID=$APACHE_RUN_USER
+fi
+if [[ -v APACHE_RUN_GROUP ]]; then
+    APACHE_GUID=$APACHE_RUN_GROUP
+fi
+
 # Read the envars for Apache2
 source /etc/apache2/envvars
 
+# Run as an arbitrary user / group if the user asked for one. It needs
+# to be created first and stripped of the leading #
+if [[ -v APACHE_UID ]]; then
+    export APACHE_RUN_USER=$APACHE_UID
+    APACHE_UID_TO_CREATE=$(echo $APACHE_UID | sed 's/#//')
+        if [[ -v APACHE_GUID ]]; then
+            export APACHE_RUN_GROUP=$APACHE_GUID
+            APACHE_GUID_TO_CREATE=$(echo $APACHE_GUID | sed 's/#//')
+            [ $(getent group openconext) ] || groupadd -g $APACHE_GUID_TO_CREATE openconext
+            [ $(getent passwd openconext) ] || useradd -M -u $APACHE_UID_TO_CREATE -g $APACHE_GUID_TO_CREATE openconext
+        else
+            [ $(getent passwd openconext) ] || useradd -M -u $APACHE_UID_TO_CREATE openconext
+    fi
+fi
+
+# Make sure the directories Apache2 needs are owned by the user running the daemon
+for dir in \
+    "$APACHE_RUN_DIR" \
+    "$APACHE_LOG_DIR" \
+    "/var/www/html" \
+; do \
+    if [[ -v APACHE_UID_TO_CREATE ]]; then
+        if [[ -v APACHE_GUID_TO_CREATE ]]; then
+            chown "$APACHE_UID_TO_CREATE:$APACHE_GUID_TO_CREATE" "$dir";
+        else
+            chown "$APACHE_UID_TO_CREATE" "$dir";
+        fi
+    else
+        chown "$APACHE_RUN_USER:$APACHE_RUN_GROUP" "$dir";
+    fi
+    chmod 1777 "$dir";
+done
+
 # Start Apache2
 apache2 -D FOREGROUND