--- 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
@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@
       // 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));
     }
   }
@@ -150,8 +150,8 @@
       // 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));
     }
   }
@@ -176,8 +176,8 @@
       // 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));
     }
   }
@@ -375,9 +375,9 @@
   #endif
   check(buf       = malloc(gr_len));
   if (getgrnam_r(name, &grbuf, buf, gr_len, &gr) || !gr) {
-    // Maybe, this system does not have a "nogroup" group. Substitute the
-    // group of the "nobody" user.
-    if (!strcmp(name, "nogroup")) {
+    // Maybe, this system does not have a DEFAULT_GROUP group. Substitute the
+    // group of the DEFAULT_USER user.
+    if (!strcmp(name, DEFAULT_GROUP)) {
       struct passwd pwbuf, *pw;
       #ifdef _SC_GETPW_R_SIZE_MAX
       int pw_len  = sysconf(_SC_GETPW_R_SIZE_MAX);
@@ -390,8 +390,8 @@
       if (pw_len > gr_len) {
         check(buf = realloc(buf, pw_len));
       }
-      if (!getpwnam_r("nobody", &pwbuf, buf, pw_len, &pw) && pw) {
-        debug("Substituting \"nobody's\" primary group for \"nogroup\"");
+      if (!getpwnam_r(DEFAULT_USER, &pwbuf, buf, pw_len, &pw) && pw) {
+        debug("Substituting DEFAULT_USER's primary group for DEFAULT_GROUP");
         gid_t gid = pw->pw_gid;
         free(buf);
         return gid;
--- shellinabox/launcher.c
+++ shellinabox/launcher.c
@@ -1060,12 +1060,12 @@
       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);