diff --git a/manifests/config.pp b/manifests/config.pp
index 6933788c..556945ae 100644
--- a/manifests/config.pp
+++ b/manifests/config.pp
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
   require logstash::package
 
   File {
-    owner => 'root',
-    group => 'root',
+    owner => $logstash::config_user,
+    group => $logstash::config_group,
   }
 
   # Configuration "fragment" directories for pipeline config and pattern files.
diff --git a/manifests/configfile.pp b/manifests/configfile.pp
index eb8c9719..f1ebc462 100644
--- a/manifests/configfile.pp
+++ b/manifests/configfile.pp
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@
 ) {
   include logstash
 
-  $owner = 'root'
-  $group = $logstash::logstash_group
+  $owner = $logstash::config_user
+  $group = $logstash::config_group
   $mode  = '0640'
   $require = Package['logstash'] # So that we have '/etc/logstash/conf.d'.
   $tag = ['logstash_config'] # So that we notify the service.
diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index 0d5b02d3..b2a8c094 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -52,10 +52,16 @@
 #   The home directory for logstash.
 #
 # @param [String] logstash_user
-#   The user that Logstash should run as. This also controls file ownership.
+#   The user that Logstash should run as.
 #
 # @param [String] logstash_group
-#   The group that Logstash should run as. This also controls file group ownership.
+#   The group that Logstash should run as.
+#
+# @param [String] config_user
+#   The user that owns Logstash control files.
+#
+# @param [String] config_group
+#   The group that owns Logstash control files.
 #
 # @param [Boolean] purge_config
 #   Purge the config directory of any unmanaged files,
@@ -152,6 +158,8 @@
   Stdlib::Absolutepath $home_dir = '/usr/share/logstash',
   $logstash_user     = 'logstash',
   $logstash_group    = 'logstash',
+  $config_user       = 'root',
+  $config_group      = 'root',
   $config_dir         = '/etc/logstash',
   Boolean $purge_config = true,
   $service_provider  = undef,
diff --git a/manifests/patternfile.pp b/manifests/patternfile.pp
index 4490ff15..996904b5 100644
--- a/manifests/patternfile.pp
+++ b/manifests/patternfile.pp
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
   file { "${logstash::config_dir}/patterns/${destination}":
     ensure => file,
     source => $source,
-    owner  => 'root',
-    group  => $logstash::logstash_group,
+    owner  => $logstash::config_user,
+    group  => $logstash::config_group,
     mode   => '0640',
     tag    => ['logstash_config'],
   }
diff --git a/manifests/service.pp b/manifests/service.pp
index 9b1c1758..05487674 100644
--- a/manifests/service.pp
+++ b/manifests/service.pp
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@
   $pipelines = $logstash::pipelines
 
   File {
-    owner  => 'root',
-    group  => 'root',
+    owner  => $logstash::config_user,
+    group  => $logstash::config_group,
     mode   => '0644',
     notify => Exec['logstash-system-install'],
   }