diff --git a/helpers/config b/helpers/config
index 896de7e73ee7f679ef78b0241fdcc7747b9965dc..6d3ba78d3ae97df4bee845fa061ae88c42ad11ba 100755
--- a/helpers/config
+++ b/helpers/config
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ mkdir -p ${LOCAL_APT}/etc/
 mkdir -p ${LOCAL_APT}/var/lib/dpkg
 touch ${LOCAL_APT}/var/lib/dpkg/status
 touch ${LOCAL_APT}/etc/trusted.gpg
-chown _apt ${LOCAL_APT}  -R
+id _apt > /dev/null 2>&1 && chown _apt ${LOCAL_APT}  -R
 
 cat << EOF > ${LOCAL_APT}/etc/apt.conf
 Dir::State "${LOCAL_APT}/var/lib/apt";
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ EOF
 rm -rf PACKAGES/$PACKAGE
 mkdir PACKAGES/$PACKAGE
 cd PACKAGES/$PACKAGE
-chown _apt .
+id _apt > /dev/null 2>&1 && chown _apt .
 
 #Get package and uncompress it
 apt-get update -c $LOCAL_APT/etc/apt.conf