diff --git a/gosh.go b/gosh.go
index 2197ba6..4e8c814 100644
--- a/gosh.go
+++ b/gosh.go
@@ -4,9 +4,12 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"context"
 	"flag"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"os/signal"
+	"os/user"
+	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
@@ -21,6 +24,9 @@ import (
 // repository as it serves both as an example as well as documentation and
 // otherwise the documentation will diverge anyways.
 type Config struct {
+	User  string
+	Group string
+
 	Store struct {
 		Path string
 	}
@@ -104,6 +110,58 @@ func forkChild(child string, extraFiles []*os.File, ctx context.Context) (*exec.
 	return cmd, nil
 }
 
+// posixPermDrop uses (more or less) POSIX defined options to drop privileges.
+//
+// Frist, a chroot is set to the given path. Afterwards, the effective UID and
+// GID are being set to those of the given user and group.
+//
+// It says "more or less POSIX" as setresuid(2) and setresgid(2) aren't part of
+// any standard (yet), but are supported by most operating systems.
+func posixPermDrop(chroot, username, group string) error {
+	// Lookup requires access to /etc/{passwd,group} - perform before chrooting.
+	userStruct, err := user.Lookup(username)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	userId, err := strconv.ParseInt(userStruct.Uid, 10, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	groupStruct, err := user.LookupGroup(group)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	groupId, err := strconv.ParseInt(groupStruct.Gid, 10, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	uid, gid := int(userId), int(groupId)
+
+	err = unix.Chroot(chroot)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("chroot: %w", err)
+	}
+	err = unix.Chdir("/")
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("chdir: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	err = unix.Setgroups([]int{gid})
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("setgroups: %w", err)
+	}
+	err = unix.Setresgid(gid, gid, gid)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("setresgid: %w", err)
+	}
+	err = unix.Setresuid(uid, uid, uid)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("setresuid: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func mainMonitor(conf Config) {
 	storeRpcServer, storeRpcClient, err := Socketpair()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -127,6 +185,15 @@ func mainMonitor(conf Config) {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	bottomlessPit, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "gosh-monitor-chroot")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.WithError(err).Fatal("Cannot create bottomless pit jail")
+	}
+	err = posixPermDrop(bottomlessPit, conf.User, conf.Group)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.WithError(err).Fatal("Cannot drop permissions")
+	}
+
 	<-ctx.Done()
 }
 
diff --git a/gosh.yml b/gosh.yml
index 73a3f28..bbba176 100644
--- a/gosh.yml
+++ b/gosh.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 ---
 
+# user and group will be the system user and group to drop permissions to.
+user: "_gosh"
+group: "_gosh"
+
+
 # The store section describes the storage server's configuration.
 store:
   path: "./store"
diff --git a/gosh_store.go b/gosh_store.go
index b79d312..6a9fd6d 100644
--- a/gosh_store.go
+++ b/gosh_store.go
@@ -8,9 +8,14 @@ import (
 )
 
 func mainStore(conf Config) {
-	log.WithField("store", conf.Store.Path).Info("Starting store child")
+	log.WithField("config", conf.Store).Debug("Starting store child")
 
-	store, err := NewStore(conf.Store.Path, true)
+	err := posixPermDrop(conf.Store.Path, conf.User, conf.Group)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.WithError(err).Fatal("Cannot drop permissions")
+	}
+
+	store, err := NewStore("/", true)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/gosh_webserver.go b/gosh_webserver.go
index a865b74..7d2b8cc 100644
--- a/gosh_webserver.go
+++ b/gosh_webserver.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func mkListenSocket(protocol, bound, unixChmod, unixOwner, unixGroup string) (*o
 }
 
 func mainWebserver(conf Config) {
-	log.Info("Starting web server child")
+	log.WithField("config", conf.Webserver).Debug("Starting web server child")
 
 	rpcConn, err := UnixConnFromFile(os.NewFile(3, ""))
 	if err != nil {
@@ -126,6 +126,15 @@ func mainWebserver(conf Config) {
 		log.WithError(err).Fatal("Cannot create socket to be bound to")
 	}
 
+	bottomlessPit, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "gosh-webserver-chroot")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.WithError(err).Fatal("Cannot create bottomless pit jail")
+	}
+	err = posixPermDrop(bottomlessPit, conf.User, conf.Group)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.WithError(err).Fatal("Cannot drop permissions")
+	}
+
 	server, err := NewServer(
 		storeClient,
 		maxFilesize, conf.Webserver.ItemConfig.MaxLifetime,