diff --git a/1.3/docker-entrypoint.sh b/1.3/docker-entrypoint.sh
index a8fca33..a510568 100755
--- a/1.3/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/1.3/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -7,11 +7,14 @@ if [ "${1:0:1}" = '-' ]; then
 	set -- elasticsearch "$@"
 fi
 
-# Drop root privileges if we are running elasticsearch
-if [ "$1" = 'elasticsearch' ]; then
+RUN_AS=${RUN_AS:-elasticsearch:elasticsearch}
+RUN_AS_USER=${RUN_AS/:*/}
+
+# Drop root privileges if we are running elasticsearch and RUN_AS is not root
+if [ "$1" = 'elasticsearch' -a  "$RUN_AS_USER" != '0' -a "$RUN_AS_USER" != 'root' ]; then
 	# Change the ownership of /usr/share/elasticsearch/data to elasticsearch
-	chown -R elasticsearch:elasticsearch /usr/share/elasticsearch/data
-	exec gosu elasticsearch "$@"
+	chown -R $RUN_AS /usr/share/elasticsearch/data
+	exec gosu $RUN_AS_USER "$@"
 fi
 
 # As argument is not related to elasticsearch,
diff --git a/1.4/docker-entrypoint.sh b/1.4/docker-entrypoint.sh
index a8fca33..a510568 100755
--- a/1.4/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/1.4/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -7,11 +7,14 @@ if [ "${1:0:1}" = '-' ]; then
 	set -- elasticsearch "$@"
 fi
 
-# Drop root privileges if we are running elasticsearch
-if [ "$1" = 'elasticsearch' ]; then
+RUN_AS=${RUN_AS:-elasticsearch:elasticsearch}
+RUN_AS_USER=${RUN_AS/:*/}
+
+# Drop root privileges if we are running elasticsearch and RUN_AS is not root
+if [ "$1" = 'elasticsearch' -a  "$RUN_AS_USER" != '0' -a "$RUN_AS_USER" != 'root' ]; then
 	# Change the ownership of /usr/share/elasticsearch/data to elasticsearch
-	chown -R elasticsearch:elasticsearch /usr/share/elasticsearch/data
-	exec gosu elasticsearch "$@"
+	chown -R $RUN_AS /usr/share/elasticsearch/data
+	exec gosu $RUN_AS_USER "$@"
 fi
 
 # As argument is not related to elasticsearch,
diff --git a/1.5/docker-entrypoint.sh b/1.5/docker-entrypoint.sh
index a8fca33..a510568 100755
--- a/1.5/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/1.5/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -7,11 +7,14 @@ if [ "${1:0:1}" = '-' ]; then
 	set -- elasticsearch "$@"
 fi
 
-# Drop root privileges if we are running elasticsearch
-if [ "$1" = 'elasticsearch' ]; then
+RUN_AS=${RUN_AS:-elasticsearch:elasticsearch}
+RUN_AS_USER=${RUN_AS/:*/}
+
+# Drop root privileges if we are running elasticsearch and RUN_AS is not root
+if [ "$1" = 'elasticsearch' -a  "$RUN_AS_USER" != '0' -a "$RUN_AS_USER" != 'root' ]; then
 	# Change the ownership of /usr/share/elasticsearch/data to elasticsearch
-	chown -R elasticsearch:elasticsearch /usr/share/elasticsearch/data
-	exec gosu elasticsearch "$@"
+	chown -R $RUN_AS /usr/share/elasticsearch/data
+	exec gosu $RUN_AS_USER "$@"
 fi
 
 # As argument is not related to elasticsearch,
diff --git a/docker-entrypoint.sh b/docker-entrypoint.sh
index a8fca33..6d381b9 100755
--- a/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -7,11 +7,14 @@ if [ "${1:0:1}" = '-' ]; then
 	set -- elasticsearch "$@"
 fi
 
-# Drop root privileges if we are running elasticsearch
-if [ "$1" = 'elasticsearch' ]; then
+RUN_AS=${RUN_AS:-elasticsearch:elasticsearch}
+RUN_AS_USER=${RUN_AS/:*/}
+
+# Drop root privileges if we are running elasticsearch and RUN_AS is not root
+if [ "$1" = 'elasticsearch' -a  "$RUN_AS_USER" != '0' -a "$RUN_AS_USER" != 'root' ]; then
 	# Change the ownership of /usr/share/elasticsearch/data to elasticsearch
-	chown -R elasticsearch:elasticsearch /usr/share/elasticsearch/data
-	exec gosu elasticsearch "$@"
+	chown -R $RUN_AS /usr/share/elasticsearch/data
+	exec gosu $RUN_AS "$@"
 fi
 
 # As argument is not related to elasticsearch,