diff --git a/conda_pack/formats.py b/conda_pack/formats.py
index 806d725..91a5653 100644
--- a/conda_pack/formats.py
+++ b/conda_pack/formats.py
@@ -439,8 +439,12 @@ def _add(self, source, target):
         self._ensure_parent(target_abspath)
 
         # hardlink instead of copy is faster, but it doesn't work across devices
-        same_device = os.lstat(source).st_dev == os.lstat(os.path.dirname(target_abspath)).st_dev
-        if same_device:
+        source_stat = os.lstat(source)
+        target_stat = os.lstat(os.path.dirname(target_abspath))
+        same_device = source_stat.st_dev == target_stat.st_dev
+        same_user = source_stat.st_uid == target_stat.st_uid
+
+        if same_device and same_user:
             copy_func = partial(os.link, follow_symlinks=False)
         else:
             copy_func = partial(shutil.copy2, follow_symlinks=False)
diff --git a/news/306-fix-hard-link-failure b/news/306-fix-hard-link-failure
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7a121fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/306-fix-hard-link-failure
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+### Enhancements
+
+* <news item>
+
+### Bug fixes
+
+* In `SquashFSArchive._add` use copy instead of hard-link when source and
+destination do not share file ownership (#248).
+
+### Deprecations
+
+* <news item>
+
+### Docs
+
+* <news item>
+
+### Other
+
+* <news item>