diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 134bceeb..0fc76ee5 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -648,6 +648,8 @@ ac_includes_default="\
 ac_header_c_list=
 ac_subst_vars='LTLIBOBJS
 LIBOBJS
+CLICON_GROUP
+CLICON_USER
 CLIGEN_DIR
 WC_BIN
 TAIL_BIN
@@ -768,6 +770,8 @@ with_libxml2
 with_sigaction
 with_yang_installdir
 with_yang_standard_dir
+with_clicon_user
+with_clicon_group
 enable_nls
 '
       ac_precious_vars='build_alias
@@ -1440,6 +1444,9 @@ Optional Packages:
   --with-yang-standard-dir=DIR
                           Directory of standard IETF/IEEE YANG specs (default:
                           $prefix/share/yang/standard)
+  --with-clicon-user=user Run as this user in configuration files
+  --with-clicon-group=group
+                          Run as this group in configuration files
 
 Some influential environment variables:
   CC          C compiler command
@@ -6876,6 +6883,37 @@ fi
 { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: Standard YANG files expected to be in ${YANG_STANDARD_DIR}" >&5
 printf "%s\n" "Standard YANG files expected to be in ${YANG_STANDARD_DIR}" >&6; }
 
+# who we run as in our examples and tests
+CLICON_USER="clicon"
+
+# Check whether --with-clicon-user was given.
+if test ${with_clicon_user+y}
+then :
+  withval=$with_clicon_user;
+  CLICON_USER="$withval"
+
+fi
+
+
+if test -n "${CLICON_USER}"; then
+    echo "Using CLICON_USER here: ${CLICON_USER}"
+fi
+
+CLICON_GROUP="clicon"
+
+# Check whether --with-clicon-group was given.
+if test ${with_clicon_group+y}
+then :
+  withval=$with_clicon_group;
+  CLICON_GROUP="$withval"
+
+fi
+
+
+if test -n "${CLICON_GROUP}"; then
+    echo "Using CLICON_GROUP here: ${CLICON_GROUP}"
+fi
+
 # Default location for config file
 
 printf "%s\n" "#define CLIXON_DEFAULT_CONFIG \"${CLIXON_DEFAULT_CONFIG}\"" >>confdefs.h
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 30af6071..81dcec98 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -413,6 +413,25 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(yang-standard-dir,
 	    )
 AC_MSG_RESULT(Standard YANG files expected to be in ${YANG_STANDARD_DIR})	
 
+# who we run as in our examples and tests
+CLICON_USER="clicon"
+AC_ARG_WITH([clicon-user], [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-clicon-user=user], [Run as this user in configuration files])], [
+  CLICON_USER="$withval"
+])
+AC_SUBST(CLICON_USER)
+if test -n "${CLICON_USER}"; then
+    echo "Using CLICON_USER here: ${CLICON_USER}"
+fi
+
+CLICON_GROUP="clicon"
+AC_ARG_WITH([clicon-group], [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-clicon-group=group], [Run as this group in configuration files])], [
+  CLICON_GROUP="$withval"
+])
+AC_SUBST(CLICON_GROUP)
+if test -n "${CLICON_GROUP}"; then
+    echo "Using CLICON_GROUP here: ${CLICON_GROUP}"
+fi
+
 # Default location for config file
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(CLIXON_DEFAULT_CONFIG,"${CLIXON_DEFAULT_CONFIG}",[Location for apps to find default config file])
 
diff --git a/example/main/example.xml.in b/example/main/example.xml.in
index bf07ab87..4fd5bfd1 100644
--- a/example/main/example.xml.in
+++ b/example/main/example.xml.in
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@
   <CLICON_BACKEND_DIR>@LIBDIR@/example/backend</CLICON_BACKEND_DIR>
   <CLICON_NETCONF_DIR>@LIBDIR@/example/netconf</CLICON_NETCONF_DIR>
   <CLICON_RESTCONF_DIR>@LIBDIR@/example/restconf</CLICON_RESTCONF_DIR>
+  <CLICON_RESTCONF_USER>@CLICON_USER@</CLICON_RESTCONF_USER>
   <CLICON_CLI_DIR>@LIBDIR@/example/cli</CLICON_CLI_DIR>
   <CLICON_CLISPEC_DIR>@LIBDIR@/example/clispec</CLICON_CLISPEC_DIR>
   <CLICON_SOCK>@LOCALSTATEDIR@/run/example.sock</CLICON_SOCK>
+  <CLICON_SOCK_GROUP>@CLICON_GROUP@</CLICON_SOCK_GROUP>
   <CLICON_BACKEND_PIDFILE>@LOCALSTATEDIR@/run/example.pid</CLICON_BACKEND_PIDFILE>
   <CLICON_CLI_LINESCROLLING>0</CLICON_CLI_LINESCROLLING>
   <CLICON_CLI_TAB_MODE>0</CLICON_CLI_TAB_MODE>