diff --git a/core/admin/start.py b/core/admin/start.py
index 6aa0d1a4..9b1ef530 100755
--- a/core/admin/start.py
+++ b/core/admin/start.py
@@ -2,15 +2,12 @@
 
 import os
 import logging as log
-from pwd import getpwnam
 import sys
 from socrate import system
 
 os.system("chown mailu:mailu -R /dkim")
 os.system("find /data | grep -v /fetchmail | xargs -n1 chown mailu:mailu")
-mailu_id = getpwnam('mailu')
-os.setgid(mailu_id.pw_gid)
-os.setuid(mailu_id.pw_uid)
+system.drop_privs_to('mailu')
 
 log.basicConfig(stream=sys.stderr, level=os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL", "INFO"))
 system.set_env(['SECRET'])
diff --git a/core/base/libs/socrate/socrate/system.py b/core/base/libs/socrate/socrate/system.py
index 96247158..1e64c5b9 100644
--- a/core/base/libs/socrate/socrate/system.py
+++ b/core/base/libs/socrate/socrate/system.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import hmac
 import logging as log
 import os
+from pwd import getpwnam
 import socket
 import tenacity
 
@@ -45,3 +46,10 @@ def set_env(required_secrets=[]):
 def clean_env():
     """ remove all secret keys """
     [os.environ.pop(key, None) for key in os.environ.keys() if key.endswith("_KEY")]
+
+def drop_privs_to(username='mailu'):
+    pwnam = getpwnam(username)
+    os.setgroups([])
+    os.setgid(pwnam.pw_gid)
+    os.setuid(pwnam.pw_uid)
+    os.environ['HOME'] = pwnam.pw_dir
diff --git a/core/dovecot/start.py b/core/dovecot/start.py
index 4da7a09c..fcdc9559 100755
--- a/core/dovecot/start.py
+++ b/core/dovecot/start.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import glob
 import multiprocessing
 import logging as log
 import sys
-from pwd import getpwnam
 
 from podop import run_server
 from socrate import system, conf
@@ -14,9 +13,7 @@ log.basicConfig(stream=sys.stderr, level=os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL", "WARNING"))
 system.set_env()
 
 def start_podop():
-    id_mail = getpwnam('mail')
-    os.setgid(id_mail.pw_gid)
-    os.setuid(id_mail.pw_uid)
+    system.drop_privs_to('mail')
     url = "http://" + os.environ["ADMIN_ADDRESS"] + "/internal/dovecot/§"
     run_server(0, "dovecot", "/tmp/podop.socket", [
 		("quota", "url", url ),
diff --git a/core/postfix/start.py b/core/postfix/start.py
index b9a058f7..8d8c545f 100755
--- a/core/postfix/start.py
+++ b/core/postfix/start.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import sys
 import re
 
 from podop import run_server
-from pwd import getpwnam
 from socrate import system, conf
 
 log.basicConfig(stream=sys.stderr, level=os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL", "WARNING"))
@@ -18,7 +17,7 @@ system.set_env()
 os.system("flock -n /queue/pid/master.pid rm /queue/pid/master.pid")
 
 def start_podop():
-    os.setuid(getpwnam('postfix').pw_uid)
+    system.drop_privs_to('postfix')
     os.makedirs('/dev/shm/postfix',mode=0o700, exist_ok=True)
     url = "http://" + os.environ["ADMIN_ADDRESS"] + "/internal/postfix/"
     # TODO: Remove verbosity setting from Podop?
@@ -36,7 +35,7 @@ def start_podop():
 
 def start_mta_sts_daemon():
     os.chmod("/root/", 0o755) # read access to /root/.netrc required
-    os.setuid(getpwnam('postfix').pw_uid)
+    system.drop_privs_to('postfix')
     from postfix_mta_sts_resolver import daemon
     daemon.main()
 
diff --git a/optional/fetchmail/fetchmail.py b/optional/fetchmail/fetchmail.py
index 97622feb..af569440 100755
--- a/optional/fetchmail/fetchmail.py
+++ b/optional/fetchmail/fetchmail.py
@@ -97,8 +97,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     os.chown("/data/fetchids", id_fetchmail.pw_uid, id_fetchmail.pw_gid)
     os.chown("/data/", id_fetchmail.pw_uid, id_fetchmail.pw_gid)
     os.chmod("/data/fetchids", 0o700)
-    os.setgid(id_fetchmail.pw_gid)
-    os.setuid(id_fetchmail.pw_uid)
+    system.drop_privs_to('fetchmail')
     config = system.set_env()
     while True:
         delay = int(os.environ.get('FETCHMAIL_DELAY', 60))
diff --git a/webmails/start.py b/webmails/start.py
index 954c8407..84d05654 100755
--- a/webmails/start.py
+++ b/webmails/start.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import os
 import logging
-from pwd import getpwnam
 import sys
 import subprocess
 import shutil
@@ -78,17 +77,15 @@ conf.jinja("/defaults/php.ini", context, "/etc/php81/php.ini")
 # setup permissions
 os.system("chown -R mailu:mailu /data")
 
-def demote(user_uid, user_gid):
+def demote(username='mailu'):
     def result():
-        os.setgid(user_gid)
-        os.setuid(user_uid)
+        system.drop_privs_to(username)
     return result
-id_mailu = getpwnam('mailu')
 
 print("Initializing database")
 try:
     result = subprocess.check_output(["/var/www/roundcube/bin/initdb.sh", "--dir", "/var/www/roundcube/SQL"],
-                                     stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, preexec_fn=demote(id_mailu.pw_uid,id_mailu.pw_gid))
+                                     stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, preexec_fn=demote())
     print(result.decode())
 except subprocess.CalledProcessError as exc:
     err = exc.stdout.decode()
@@ -100,13 +97,13 @@ except subprocess.CalledProcessError as exc:
 
 print("Upgrading database")
 try:
-    subprocess.check_call(["/var/www/roundcube/bin/update.sh", "--version=?", "-y"], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, preexec_fn=demote(id_mailu.pw_uid,id_mailu.pw_gid))
+    subprocess.check_call(["/var/www/roundcube/bin/update.sh", "--version=?", "-y"], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, preexec_fn=demote())
 except subprocess.CalledProcessError as exc:
     exit(4)
 else:
     print("Cleaning database")
     try:
-        subprocess.check_call(["/var/www/roundcube/bin/cleandb.sh"], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, preexec_fn=demote(id_mailu.pw_uid,id_mailu.pw_gid))
+        subprocess.check_call(["/var/www/roundcube/bin/cleandb.sh"], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, preexec_fn=demote())
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError as exc:
         exit(5)