diff --git a/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-daemon.default b/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-daemon.default
index 1f18caae0..8a8115188 100644
--- a/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-daemon.default
+++ b/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-daemon.default
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@ CONFIG_FILE=/etc/rtpengine/rtpengine.conf
 # CONFIG_SECTION=rtpengine
 PIDFILE=/var/run/ngcp-rtpengine-daemon.pid
 TABLE=0
+#SET_USER=root
+#SET_GROUP=root # GROUP only needs to be set if USER is not set or if the user isn't in the group
diff --git a/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-daemon.init b/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-daemon.init
index 66b81c371..0daf65ae7 100755
--- a/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-daemon.init
+++ b/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-daemon.init
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ set -e
 . /lib/lsb/init-functions
 
 OPTIONS=""
+START_OPTIONS=""
+MODPROBE_OPTIONS=""
 
 if [ ! -z "$INTERFACES" ]; then
 	for interface in $INTERFACES; do
@@ -111,6 +113,37 @@ if test "$LOG_STDERR" = "yes" ; then
 	OPTIONS="$OPTIONS --log-stderr"
 fi
 
+# check if directory for pid file needs to be created
+
+PIDDIR=$(dirname "$PIDFILE")
+DO_DIR_CHOWN=0
+if ! test -z "$PIDDIR" && ! test -d "$PIDDIR"; then
+	mkdir -p "$PIDDIR"
+	DO_DIR_CHOWN=1
+fi
+
+# handle requested setuid/setgid
+
+if ! test -z "$SET_USER"; then
+	START_OPTIONS="$START_OPTIONS --chuid $SET_USER"
+	UID=$(id -u "$SET_USER" 2> /dev/null)
+	test -z "$UID" || MODPROBE_OPTIONS="$MODPROBE_OPTIONS proc_uid=$UID"
+	if test -z "$SET_GROUP"; then
+		GID=$(id -g "$SET_USER" 2> /dev/null)
+		test -z "$GID" || MODPROBE_OPTIONS="$MODPROBE_OPTIONS proc_gid=$GID"
+	fi
+	test "$DO_DIR_CHOWN" = 1 && chown "$SET_USER": "$PIDDIR"
+fi
+
+if ! test -z "$SET_GROUP"; then
+	START_OPTIONS="$START_OPTIONS --group $SET_GROUP"
+	GID=$(grep "^$SET_GROUP:" /etc/group | cut -d: -f3 2> /dev/null)
+	test -z "$GID" || MODPROBE_OPTIONS="$MODPROBE_OPTIONS proc_gid=$GID"
+	test "$DO_DIR_CHOWN" = 1 && chgrp "$SET_GROUP" "$PIDDIR"
+fi
+
+###
+
 if [ -x /usr/sbin/ngcp-virt-identify ]; then
 	if /usr/sbin/ngcp-virt-identify --type container; then
 		VIRT="yes"
@@ -137,7 +170,7 @@ case "$1" in
 	log_daemon_msg "Starting $DESC: $NAME"
 	if [ "$TABLE" -ge 0 ] && [ "$VIRT" != "yes" ]; then
 		set +e
-		modprobe xt_RTPENGINE
+		modprobe xt_RTPENGINE $MODPROBE_OPTIONS
 		if [ -e /proc/mediaproxy/control ]; then
 			echo "del $TABLE" > /proc/mediaproxy/control 2>/dev/null
 		fi
@@ -173,7 +206,7 @@ case "$1" in
 		set -e
 	fi
 	start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile "$PIDFILE" \
-		--exec "$DAEMON" -- $OPTIONS || log_progress_msg " already running"
+		--exec "$DAEMON" $START_OPTIONS -- $OPTIONS || log_progress_msg " already running"
 	log_end_msg $?
 	;;
   stop)
@@ -184,6 +217,7 @@ case "$1" in
 		return $?
 	fi
 	if [ "$TABLE" -ge 0 ] && [ "$VIRT" != "yes" ]; then
+		sleep 1
 		set +e
 		if [ -e /proc/mediaproxy/control ]; then
 			echo "del $TABLE" > /proc/mediaproxy/control 2>/dev/null
diff --git a/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-recording-daemon.default b/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-recording-daemon.default
index 6346c6003..2e527f114 100644
--- a/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-recording-daemon.default
+++ b/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-recording-daemon.default
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ RUN_RTPENGINE_RECORDING=no
 CONFIG_FILE=/etc/rtpengine/rtpengine-recording.conf
 # CONFIG_SECTION=rtpengine-recording
 PIDFILE=/var/run/ngcp-rtpengine-recording-daemon.pid
-
+#SET_USER=root
+#SET_GROUP=root # GROUP only needs to be set if USER is not set or if the user isn't in the group
+#
 MUST_NFS=no
 NFS_HOST=192.168.1.1
 NFS_REMOTE_PATH=/var/recordings
diff --git a/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-recording-daemon.init b/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-recording-daemon.init
index d63d0ca56..1256e556d 100755
--- a/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-recording-daemon.init
+++ b/debian/ngcp-rtpengine-recording-daemon.init
@@ -37,11 +37,44 @@ set -e
 . /lib/lsb/init-functions
 
 OPTIONS=""
+START_OPTIONS=""
 
 
 [ -z "$CONFIG_FILE" ] || OPTIONS="$OPTIONS --config-file=$CONFIG_FILE"
 [ -z "$PIDFILE" ] || OPTIONS="$OPTIONS --pidfile=$PIDFILE"
 
+
+# check if directory for pid file needs to be created
+
+PIDDIR=$(dirname "$PIDFILE")
+DO_DIR_CHOWN=0
+if ! test -z "$PIDDIR" && ! test -d "$PIDDIR"; then
+	mkdir -p "$PIDDIR"
+	DO_DIR_CHOWN=1
+fi
+
+# handle requested setuid/setgid
+
+if ! test -z "$SET_USER"; then
+	START_OPTIONS="$START_OPTIONS --chuid $SET_USER"
+	UID=$(id -u "$SET_USER" 2> /dev/null)
+	test -z "$UID" || MODPROBE_OPTIONS="$MODPROBE_OPTIONS proc_uid=$UID"
+	if test -z "$SET_GROUP"; then
+		GID=$(id -g "$SET_USER" 2> /dev/null)
+		test -z "$GID" || MODPROBE_OPTIONS="$MODPROBE_OPTIONS proc_gid=$GID"
+	fi
+	test "$DO_DIR_CHOWN" = 1 && chown "$SET_USER": "$PIDDIR"
+fi
+
+if ! test -z "$SET_GROUP"; then
+	START_OPTIONS="$START_OPTIONS --group $SET_GROUP"
+	GID=$(grep "^$SET_GROUP:" /etc/group | cut -d: -f3 2> /dev/null)
+	test -z "$GID" || MODPROBE_OPTIONS="$MODPROBE_OPTIONS proc_gid=$GID"
+	test "$DO_DIR_CHOWN" = 1 && chgrp "$SET_GROUP" "$PIDDIR"
+fi
+
+###
+
 if [ -x /usr/sbin/ngcp-virt-identify ]; then
 	if /usr/sbin/ngcp-virt-identify --type container; then
 		VIRT="yes"
@@ -77,7 +110,7 @@ case "$1" in
 	fi
 
 	start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile "$PIDFILE" \
-		--exec "$DAEMON" -- $OPTIONS || log_progress_msg " already running"
+		--exec "$DAEMON" $START_OPTIONS -- $OPTIONS || log_progress_msg " already running"
 	log_end_msg $?
 	;;
   stop)
diff --git a/lib/auxlib.c b/lib/auxlib.c
index b69853960..bd5fb9d8b 100644
--- a/lib/auxlib.c
+++ b/lib/auxlib.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include "log.h"
 
 
@@ -34,10 +35,13 @@ void wpidfile() {
 		return;
 
 	fp = fopen(pid_file, "w");
-	if (fp) {
-		fprintf(fp, "%u\n", getpid());
-		fclose(fp);
+	if (!fp) {
+		ilog(LOG_CRIT, "Failed to create PID file (%s), aborting startup", strerror(errno));
+		exit(-1);
 	}
+
+	fprintf(fp, "%u\n", getpid());
+	fclose(fp);
 }