diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 8557e51d2..3ebef18b9 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ else
   CHOWN_OUTPUT=&1
   INIT_USER=$(INSTALLUSER)
 endif
+# if no group was enabled, don't set privileges or ownership
+INSTALLGROUP=@INSTALLGROUP@
+ifneq ($(INSTALLGROUP),)
+  G_USER=-g $(INSTALLGROUP)
+endif
 
 all: deps src
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b4952a424..1fe20b6bc 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -261,6 +261,19 @@ if test "$ENABLEUSER" != ""; then
   echo "allow this system user to start ejabberd: $ENABLEUSER"
   AC_SUBST([INSTALLUSER], [$ENABLEUSER])
 fi
+ENABLEGROUP=""
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(group,
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-group[[[[=GROUP]]]]], [allow this system group to start ejabberd (default: no)])],
+  [case "${enableval}" in
+     yes) ENABLEGROUP=`groups |head -n 1` ;;
+     no) ENABLEGROUP="" ;;
+     *) ENABLEGROUP=$enableval
+   esac],
+  [])
+if test "$ENABLEGROUP" != ""; then
+  echo "allow this system group to start ejabberd: $ENABLEGROUP"
+  AC_SUBST([INSTALLGROUP], [$ENABLEGROUP])
+fi
 
 ERLANG_DEPRECATED_TYPES_CHECK