diff --git a/server/helpers/launcher.js b/server/helpers/launcher.js
index a1f1208..47770b6 100644
--- a/server/helpers/launcher.js
+++ b/server/helpers/launcher.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 var kiwi_app = '../kiwi.js';
-var pidfile = '../../kiwiirc.pid';
+var pidfile = '/run/kiwiirc/kiwiirc.pid';
 var pidfile_arg;
 
 // Check if a pidfile has been set as an argument
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@ if (process.argv.indexOf('-p') > -1) {
     }
 }
 
+try {
+    process.setgid('kiwiirc');
+    process.setuid('kiwiirc');
+} catch (e) {
+    console.error('Cannot switch to user kiwiirc. Try running as root.')
+    process.exit();
+}
 
 var daemon = require('daemonize2').setup({
     main: kiwi_app,
