diff --git a/native/README.md b/native/README.md
index 3e54eb4..689d89c 100644
--- a/native/README.md
+++ b/native/README.md
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ fill the environment file (in case of testnet it's `testnet.env`).
 
 > [!NOTE]
 > You can use your custom connect installation script (example for that is `install_skip.sh`). This one is customized to set a connect version to be installed (default installation script always installs binary with `latest` tag on it).
+- `MEZOD_USER` - the user the node processes will run as (the v-kit.sh script should still be run with root or sudo for installation as indicated in Prerequisites)
 
 ### 2. Prepare installation script to run
 
diff --git a/native/testnet.env.example b/native/testnet.env.example
index 13feff1..19ffa75 100755
--- a/native/testnet.env.example
+++ b/native/testnet.env.example
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 export MEZOD_CHAIN_ID="mezo_31611-1"
 export MEZOD_HOME="/var/mezod"
 export MEZOD_MONIKER="<your_mezo_validator_name>"
+export MEZOD_USER="root"
 
 ### Keyring ###
 export MEZOD_KEYRING_MNEMONIC="<your_keyring_mnemonic>"
diff --git a/native/v-kit.sh b/native/v-kit.sh
index 31bf0bf..c56787d 100755
--- a/native/v-kit.sh
+++ b/native/v-kit.sh
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ install_mezo() {
     download_binary ${MEZOD_DOWNLOAD_LINK} "verbose"
     unpack_binary ${MEZOD_DESTINATION}
 
-    chown root:root ${MEZO_EXEC}
+    chown "${MEZOD_USER}":"${MEZOD_USER}" ${MEZO_EXEC}
     chmod +x ${MEZO_EXEC}
 
     echo "Mezo binary installed with path: ${MEZO_EXEC}"
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ ExecStartPre=/bin/echo "Starting connect-sidecar systemd initialization..."
 ExecStart=${CONNECT_EXEC} --log-disable-file-rotation --port=${CONNECT_SIDECAR_PORT} --market-map-endpoint=\"127.0.0.1:9090\"
 StandardOutput=journal
 StandardError=journal
-User=root
+User=${MEZOD_USER}
 
 [Install]
 WantedBy=multi-user.target" | tee /etc/systemd/system/connect-sidecar.service
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ ExecStartPre=/bin/echo "Starting ethereum-sidecar systemd initialization..."
 ExecStart=${MEZO_EXEC} ethereum-sidecar --log_format=${MEZOD_LOG_FORMAT} --ethereum-sidecar.server.ethereum-node-address=${MEZOD_ETHEREUM_SIDECAR_SERVER_ETHEREUM_NODE_ADDRESS}
 StandardOutput=journal
 StandardError=journal
-User=root
+User=${MEZOD_USER}
 
 [Install]
 WantedBy=multi-user.target" | tee /etc/systemd/system/ethereum-sidecar.service
@@ -267,13 +267,17 @@ ExecStartPre=/bin/echo "Starting mezod systemd initialization..."
 ExecStart=${MEZO_EXEC} start --home=${MEZOD_HOME} --metrics
 StandardOutput=journal
 StandardError=journal
-User=root
+User=${MEZOD_USER}
 
 [Install]
 WantedBy=multi-user.target" | tee /etc/systemd/system/mezo.service
 
 }
 
+set_file_permissions(){
+    chown -R "${MEZOD_USER}":"${MEZOD_USER}" "${MEZOD_HOME}"
+}
+
 systemd_restart() {
     echo "Reloading systemd daemon"
     systemctl daemon-reload
@@ -432,6 +436,7 @@ main() {
     setup_systemd_skip
     setup_systemd_sidecar
     setup_systemd_mezo
+    set_file_permissions
     systemd_restart
     show_validator_info
 }