diff --git a/debian/shadowsocks-libev.init b/debian/shadowsocks-libev.init
index a292e965..60dbee3c 100644
--- a/debian/shadowsocks-libev.init
+++ b/debian/shadowsocks-libev.init
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ do_start()
     #   0 if daemon has been started
     #   1 if daemon was already running
     #   2 if daemon could not be started
-    start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --chuid $USER:$GROUP --exec $DAEMON --test > /dev/null \
+    start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --chuid root:$GROUP --exec $DAEMON --test > /dev/null \
         || return 1
-    start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --chuid $USER:$GROUP --exec $DAEMON -- \
+    start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --chuid root:$GROUP --exec $DAEMON -- \
         -c "$CONFFILE" -a "$USER" -u -f $PIDFILE $DAEMON_ARGS \
         || return 2
 }