--- shellinabox/privileges.h
+++ shellinabox/privileges.h
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
+#define DEFAULT_USER	"nobody"
+#define DEFAULT_GROUP	"nogroup"
+
 extern int   runAsUser;
 extern int   runAsGroup;
 
--- shellinabox/privileges.c
+++ shellinabox/privileges.c
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@
       // If we were started as a set-gid binary, drop these permissions, now.
       check(!setresgid(rg, rg, rg));
     } else {
-      // If we are running as root, switch to "nogroup"
-      gid_t ng = getGroupId("nogroup");
+      // If we are running as root, switch to DEFAULT_GROUP
+      gid_t ng = getGroupId(DEFAULT_GROUP);
       check(!setresgid(ng, ng, ng));
     }
   }
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@
       // permissions.
       check(!setresuid(r, r, -1));
     } else {
-      // If we are running as "root", temporarily switch to "nobody".
-      uid_t n = getUserId("nobody");
+      // If we are running as "root", temporarily switch to DEFAULT_USER.
+      uid_t n = getUserId(DEFAULT_USER);
       check(!setresuid(n, n, -1));
     }
   }
@@ -177,8 +177,8 @@
       // permissions.
       check(!setresuid(r, r, r));
     } else {
-      // If we are running as "root", permanently switch to "nobody".
-      uid_t n = getUserId("nobody");
+      // If we are running as "root", permanently switch to DEFAULT_USER.
+      uid_t n = getUserId(DEFAULT_USER);
       check(!setresuid(n, n, n));
     }
   }
@@ -386,9 +386,9 @@
     if(!ret) {
       if(gr) {
         break;
-      } else if(!strcmp(name, "nogroup")) {
-        // Maybe, this system does not have a "nogroup" group. Substitute the
-        // group of the "nobody" user.
+      } else if(!strcmp(name, DEFAULT_GROUP)) {
+        // Maybe, this system does not have a "DEFAULT_GROUP" group. Substitute the
+        // group of the "DEFAULT_USER" user.
         struct passwd pwbuf, *pw;
         #ifdef _SC_GETPW_R_SIZE_MAX
         int pw_len  = sysconf(_SC_GETPW_R_SIZE_MAX);
@@ -401,8 +401,8 @@
         if (pw_len > gr_len) {
           check(buf = realloc(buf, pw_len));
         }
-        if (!getpwnam_r("nobody", &pwbuf, buf, pw_len, &pw) && pw) {
-          debug("[server] Substituting \"nobody\"'s primary group for \"nogroup\"");
+        if (!getpwnam_r(DEFAULT_USER, &pwbuf, buf, pw_len, &pw) && pw) {
+          debug("[server] Substituting \"DEFAULT_USER\"'s primary group for \"nogroup\"");
           gid_t gid = pw->pw_gid;
           free(buf);
           return gid;
--- shellinabox/launcher.c
+++ shellinabox/launcher.c
@@ -1107,12 +1107,12 @@
       if (runAsUser >= 0) {
         service->uid           = runAsUser;
       } else {
-        service->uid           = getUserId("nobody");
+        service->uid           = getUserId(DEFAULT_USER);
       }
       if (runAsGroup >= 0) {
         service->gid           = runAsGroup;
       } else {
-        service->gid           = getGroupId("nogroup");
+        service->gid           = getGroupId(DEFAULT_GROUP);
       }
     }
     pw                         = getPWEnt(service->uid);