diff --git a/internal/distro/distro.go b/internal/distro/distro.go
index 61ca87aed..7336330a1 100644
--- a/internal/distro/distro.go
+++ b/internal/distro/distro.go
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ var (
 	setfilesCmd  = "setfiles"
 	wipefsCmd    = "wipefs"
 	systemctlCmd = "systemctl"
+	chrootCmd    = "chroot"
 
 	// Filesystem tools
 	btrfsMkfsCmd = "mkfs.btrfs"
@@ -73,6 +74,9 @@ var (
 	// ".ssh/authorized_keys.d/ignition" ("true"), or to
 	// ".ssh/authorized_keys" ("false").
 	writeAuthorizedKeysFragment = "true"
+	// lookup for users/groups using go's os/user/lookup parsing /etc/passwd and /etc/groups
+	// or C's calling getpwnam_r() and getgrnam_r()
+	userGroupLookupUsingGo = "false"
 
 	// Special file paths in the real root
 	luksRealRootKeyFilePath = "/etc/luks/"
@@ -98,6 +102,7 @@ func UserdelCmd() string   { return userdelCmd }
 func SetfilesCmd() string  { return setfilesCmd }
 func WipefsCmd() string    { return wipefsCmd }
 func SystemctlCmd() string { return systemctlCmd }
+func ChrootCmd() string    { return chrootCmd }
 
 func BtrfsMkfsCmd() string { return btrfsMkfsCmd }
 func Ext4MkfsCmd() string  { return ext4MkfsCmd }
@@ -117,8 +122,9 @@ func KargsCmd() string { return kargsCmd }
 func LuksRealRootKeyFilePath() string { return luksRealRootKeyFilePath }
 func ResultFilePath() string          { return resultFilePath }
 
-func SelinuxRelabel() bool  { return bakedStringToBool(selinuxRelabel) && !BlackboxTesting() }
-func BlackboxTesting() bool { return bakedStringToBool(blackboxTesting) }
+func UserGroupLookupUsingGo() bool { return bakedStringToBool(userGroupLookupUsingGo) }
+func SelinuxRelabel() bool         { return bakedStringToBool(selinuxRelabel) && !BlackboxTesting() }
+func BlackboxTesting() bool        { return bakedStringToBool(blackboxTesting) }
 func WriteAuthorizedKeysFragment() bool {
 	return bakedStringToBool(fromEnv("WRITE_AUTHORIZED_KEYS_FRAGMENT", writeAuthorizedKeysFragment))
 }
diff --git a/internal/exec/util/lookup_unix.go b/internal/exec/util/lookup_unix.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a8ae04af3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/exec/util/lookup_unix.go
@@ -0,0 +1,246 @@
+// Copyright 2016 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// This file is the same as go's private `os/user/lookup_unix.go` except that lookup*() functions accept a root path
+
+////go:build ((unix && !android) || (js && wasm) || wasip1) && ((!cgo && !darwin) || osusergo)
+////+build unix,!android js,wasm wasip1
+////+build !cgo,!darwin osusergo
+
+package util
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"bytes"
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"os/user"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+const (
+	userFile  = "/etc/passwd"
+	groupFile = "/etc/group"
+)
+
+var colon = []byte{':'}
+
+// lineFunc returns a value, an error, or (nil, nil) to skip the row.
+type lineFunc func(line []byte) (v any, err error)
+
+// readColonFile parses r as an /etc/group or /etc/passwd style file, running
+// fn for each row. readColonFile returns a value, an error, or (nil, nil) if
+// the end of the file is reached without a match.
+//
+// readCols is the minimum number of colon-separated fields that will be passed
+// to fn; in a long line additional fields may be silently discarded.
+func readColonFile(r io.Reader, fn lineFunc, readCols int) (v any, err error) {
+	rd := bufio.NewReader(r)
+
+	// Read the file line-by-line.
+	for {
+		var isPrefix bool
+		var wholeLine []byte
+
+		// Read the next line. We do so in chunks (as much as reader's
+		// buffer is able to keep), check if we read enough columns
+		// already on each step and store final result in wholeLine.
+		for {
+			var line []byte
+			line, isPrefix, err = rd.ReadLine()
+
+			if err != nil {
+				// We should return (nil, nil) if EOF is reached
+				// without a match.
+				if err == io.EOF {
+					err = nil
+				}
+				return nil, err
+			}
+
+			// Simple common case: line is short enough to fit in a
+			// single reader's buffer.
+			if !isPrefix && len(wholeLine) == 0 {
+				wholeLine = line
+				break
+			}
+
+			wholeLine = append(wholeLine, line...)
+
+			// Check if we read the whole line (or enough columns)
+			// already.
+			if !isPrefix || bytes.Count(wholeLine, []byte{':'}) >= readCols {
+				break
+			}
+		}
+
+		// There's no spec for /etc/passwd or /etc/group, but we try to follow
+		// the same rules as the glibc parser, which allows comments and blank
+		// space at the beginning of a line.
+		wholeLine = bytes.TrimSpace(wholeLine)
+		if len(wholeLine) == 0 || wholeLine[0] == '#' {
+			continue
+		}
+		v, err = fn(wholeLine)
+		if v != nil || err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+
+		// If necessary, skip the rest of the line
+		for ; isPrefix; _, isPrefix, err = rd.ReadLine() {
+			if err != nil {
+				// We should return (nil, nil) if EOF is reached without a match.
+				if err == io.EOF {
+					err = nil
+				}
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func matchGroupIndexValue(value string, idx int) lineFunc {
+	var leadColon string
+	if idx > 0 {
+		leadColon = ":"
+	}
+	substr := []byte(leadColon + value + ":")
+	return func(line []byte) (v any, err error) {
+		if !bytes.Contains(line, substr) || bytes.Count(line, colon) < 3 {
+			return
+		}
+		// wheel:*:0:root
+		parts := strings.SplitN(string(line), ":", 4)
+		if len(parts) < 4 || parts[0] == "" || parts[idx] != value ||
+			// If the file contains +foo and you search for "foo", glibc
+			// returns an "invalid argument" error. Similarly, if you search
+			// for a gid for a row where the group name starts with "+" or "-",
+			// glibc fails to find the record.
+			parts[0][0] == '+' || parts[0][0] == '-' {
+			return
+		}
+		if _, err := strconv.Atoi(parts[2]); err != nil {
+			return nil, nil
+		}
+		return &user.Group{Name: parts[0], Gid: parts[2]}, nil
+	}
+}
+
+func findGroupId(id string, r io.Reader) (*user.Group, error) {
+	if v, err := readColonFile(r, matchGroupIndexValue(id, 2), 3); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	} else if v != nil {
+		return v.(*user.Group), nil
+	}
+	return nil, user.UnknownGroupIdError(id)
+}
+
+func findGroupName(name string, r io.Reader) (*user.Group, error) {
+	if v, err := readColonFile(r, matchGroupIndexValue(name, 0), 3); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	} else if v != nil {
+		return v.(*user.Group), nil
+	}
+	return nil, user.UnknownGroupError(name)
+}
+
+// returns a *User for a row if that row's has the given value at the
+// given index.
+func matchUserIndexValue(value string, idx int) lineFunc {
+	var leadColon string
+	if idx > 0 {
+		leadColon = ":"
+	}
+	substr := []byte(leadColon + value + ":")
+	return func(line []byte) (v any, err error) {
+		if !bytes.Contains(line, substr) || bytes.Count(line, colon) < 6 {
+			return
+		}
+		// kevin:x:1005:1006::/home/kevin:/usr/bin/zsh
+		parts := strings.SplitN(string(line), ":", 7)
+		if len(parts) < 6 || parts[idx] != value || parts[0] == "" ||
+			parts[0][0] == '+' || parts[0][0] == '-' {
+			return
+		}
+		if _, err := strconv.Atoi(parts[2]); err != nil {
+			return nil, nil
+		}
+		if _, err := strconv.Atoi(parts[3]); err != nil {
+			return nil, nil
+		}
+		u := &user.User{
+			Username: parts[0],
+			Uid:      parts[2],
+			Gid:      parts[3],
+			Name:     parts[4],
+			HomeDir:  parts[5],
+		}
+		// The pw_gecos field isn't quite standardized. Some docs
+		// say: "It is expected to be a comma separated list of
+		// personal data where the first item is the full name of the
+		// user."
+		u.Name, _, _ = strings.Cut(u.Name, ",")
+		return u, nil
+	}
+}
+
+func findUserId(uid string, r io.Reader) (*user.User, error) {
+	i, e := strconv.Atoi(uid)
+	if e != nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("user: invalid userid " + uid)
+	}
+	if v, err := readColonFile(r, matchUserIndexValue(uid, 2), 6); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	} else if v != nil {
+		return v.(*user.User), nil
+	}
+	return nil, user.UnknownUserIdError(i)
+}
+
+func findUsername(name string, r io.Reader) (*user.User, error) {
+	if v, err := readColonFile(r, matchUserIndexValue(name, 0), 6); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	} else if v != nil {
+		return v.(*user.User), nil
+	}
+	return nil, user.UnknownUserError(name)
+}
+
+func lookupGroup(groupname string, root string) (*user.Group, error) {
+	f, err := os.Open(root + groupFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	return findGroupName(groupname, f)
+}
+
+func lookupGroupId(id string, root string) (*user.Group, error) {
+	f, err := os.Open(root + groupFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	return findGroupId(id, f)
+}
+
+func lookupUser(username string, root string) (*user.User, error) {
+	f, err := os.Open(root + userFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	return findUsername(username, f)
+}
+
+func lookupUserId(uid string, root string) (*user.User, error) {
+	f, err := os.Open(root + userFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	return findUserId(uid, f)
+}
diff --git a/internal/exec/util/passwd.go b/internal/exec/util/passwd.go
index e6050d049..65eb7ea5b 100644
--- a/internal/exec/util/passwd.go
+++ b/internal/exec/util/passwd.go
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ func (u Util) EnsureUser(c types.PasswdUser) error {
 	}
 	if !shouldExist {
 		if exists {
-			args := []string{"--remove", "--root", u.DestDir, c.Name}
-			_, err := u.LogCmd(exec.Command(distro.UserdelCmd(), args...),
+			args := []string{u.DestDir, distro.UserdelCmd(), "--remove", c.Name}
+			_, err := u.LogCmd(exec.Command(distro.ChrootCmd(), args...),
 				"deleting user %q", c.Name)
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to delete user %q: %v",
@@ -74,17 +74,16 @@ func (u Util) EnsureUser(c types.PasswdUser) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	args := []string{"--root", u.DestDir}
+	args := []string{u.DestDir}
 
-	var cmd string
 	if exists {
-		cmd = distro.UsermodCmd()
+		args = append(args, distro.UsermodCmd())
 
 		if util.NotEmpty(c.HomeDir) {
 			args = append(args, "--home", *c.HomeDir, "--move-home")
 		}
 	} else {
-		cmd = distro.UseraddCmd()
+		args = append(args, distro.UseraddCmd())
 
 		args = appendIfStringSet(args, "--home-dir", c.HomeDir)
 
@@ -127,7 +126,7 @@ func (u Util) EnsureUser(c types.PasswdUser) error {
 
 	args = append(args, c.Name)
 
-	_, err = u.LogCmd(exec.Command(cmd, args...),
+	_, err = u.LogCmd(exec.Command(distro.ChrootCmd(), args...),
 		"creating or modifying user %q", c.Name)
 	return err
 }
@@ -297,13 +296,14 @@ func (u Util) SetPasswordHash(c types.PasswdUser) error {
 	}
 
 	args := []string{
-		"--root", u.DestDir,
+		u.DestDir,
+		distro.UsermodCmd(),
 		"--password", pwhash,
 	}
 
 	args = append(args, c.Name)
 
-	_, err := u.LogCmd(exec.Command(distro.UsermodCmd(), args...),
+	_, err := u.LogCmd(exec.Command(distro.ChrootCmd(), args...),
 		"setting password for %q", c.Name)
 	return err
 }
@@ -319,8 +319,8 @@ func (u Util) EnsureGroup(g types.PasswdGroup) error {
 	}
 	if !shouldExist {
 		if exists {
-			args := []string{"--root", u.DestDir, g.Name}
-			_, err := u.LogCmd(exec.Command(distro.GroupdelCmd(), args...),
+			args := []string{u.DestDir, distro.GroupdelCmd(), "--root", u.DestDir, g.Name}
+			_, err := u.LogCmd(exec.Command(distro.ChrootCmd(), args...),
 				"deleting group %q", g.Name)
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to delete group %q: %v",
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ func (u Util) EnsureGroup(g types.PasswdGroup) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	args := []string{"--root", u.DestDir}
+	args := []string{u.DestDir, distro.GroupaddCmd()}
 
 	if g.Gid != nil {
 		args = append(args, "--gid",
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ func (u Util) EnsureGroup(g types.PasswdGroup) error {
 
 	args = append(args, g.Name)
 
-	_, err = u.LogCmd(exec.Command(distro.GroupaddCmd(), args...),
+	_, err = u.LogCmd(exec.Command(distro.ChrootCmd(), args...),
 		"adding group %q", g.Name)
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/internal/exec/util/user_group_lookup.go b/internal/exec/util/user_group_lookup.go
index fa14c9468..330ee8c84 100644
--- a/internal/exec/util/user_group_lookup.go
+++ b/internal/exec/util/user_group_lookup.go
@@ -25,11 +25,15 @@ import "C"
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/coreos/ignition/v2/internal/distro"
 	"os/user"
 )
 
 // userLookup looks up the user in u.DestDir.
 func (u Util) userLookup(name string) (*user.User, error) {
+	if distro.UserGroupLookupUsingGo() {
+		return lookupUser(name, u.DestDir)
+	}
 	res := &C.lookup_res_t{}
 
 	if ret, err := C.user_lookup(C.CString(u.DestDir),
@@ -55,6 +59,9 @@ func (u Util) userLookup(name string) (*user.User, error) {
 
 // groupLookup looks up the group in u.DestDir.
 func (u Util) groupLookup(name string) (*user.Group, error) {
+	if distro.UserGroupLookupUsingGo() {
+		return lookupGroup(name, u.DestDir)
+	}
 	res := &C.lookup_res_t{}
 
 	if ret, err := C.group_lookup(C.CString(u.DestDir),