diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-commit.c b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-commit.c
index 68cff05d..f76dcd66 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-commit.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-commit.c
@@ -72,6 +72,22 @@ commit_loose_object_trusted (OstreeRepo        *self,
 {
   gboolean ret = FALSE;
 
+  /* We may be writing as root to a non-root-owned repository; if so,
+   * automatically inherit the non-root ownership.
+   */
+  if (self->mode == OSTREE_REPO_MODE_ARCHIVE_Z2
+      && self->target_owner_uid != -1) 
+    {
+      if (G_UNLIKELY (fchownat (self->tmp_dir_fd, temp_filename,
+                                self->target_owner_uid,
+                                self->target_owner_gid,
+                                AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW) == -1))
+        {
+          ot_util_set_error_from_errno (error, errno);
+          goto out;
+        }
+    }
+
   /* Special handling for symlinks in bare repositories */
   if (is_symlink && self->mode == OSTREE_REPO_MODE_BARE)
     {
diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-private.h b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-private.h
index ad512f98..e893c4f8 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-private.h
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-private.h
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ struct OstreeRepo {
   GHashTable *updated_uncompressed_dirs;
   GHashTable *object_sizes;
 
+  uid_t target_owner_uid;
+  gid_t target_owner_gid;
+
   GKeyFile *config;
   OstreeRepoMode mode;
   gboolean enable_uncompressed_cache;
diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-repo.c b/src/libostree/ostree-repo.c
index 4887e8d1..98617552 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-repo.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-repo.c
@@ -819,6 +819,7 @@ ostree_repo_open (OstreeRepo    *self,
 {
   gboolean ret = FALSE;
   gboolean is_archive;
+  struct stat stbuf;
   gs_free char *version = NULL;
   gs_free char *mode = NULL;
   gs_free char *parent_repo_path = NULL;
@@ -836,6 +837,22 @@ ostree_repo_open (OstreeRepo    *self,
 
   self->writable = faccessat (AT_FDCWD, gs_file_get_path_cached (self->objects_dir), W_OK, 0) == 0;
 
+  if (fstat (self->objects_dir_fd, &stbuf) != 0)
+    {
+      ot_util_set_error_from_errno (error, errno);
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+  if (stbuf.st_uid != getuid () || stbuf.st_gid != getgid ())
+    {
+      self->target_owner_uid = stbuf.st_uid;
+      self->target_owner_gid = stbuf.st_gid;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      self->target_owner_uid = self->target_owner_gid = -1;
+    }
+
   self->config = g_key_file_new ();
   if (!g_key_file_load_from_file (self->config, gs_file_get_path_cached (self->config_file), 0, error))
     {