diff --git a/docker/cinder/cinder-api/extend_start.sh b/docker/cinder/cinder-api/extend_start.sh
index a92cd01344..f56c0cd5e8 100644
--- a/docker/cinder/cinder-api/extend_start.sh
+++ b/docker/cinder/cinder-api/extend_start.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ if [[ "${!KOLLA_BOOTSTRAP[@]}" ]]; then
 fi
 
 # Assume the service runs on top of Apache when user is root
-if [[ $USER == 'root' ]]; then
+if [[ "$(whoami)" == 'root' ]]; then
     # NOTE(pbourke): httpd will not clean up after itself in some cases which
     # results in the container not being able to restart. (bug #1489676, 1557036)
     if [[ "${KOLLA_BASE_DISTRO}" =~ debian|ubuntu ]]; then
diff --git a/docker/heat/heat-base/extend_start.sh b/docker/heat/heat-base/extend_start.sh
index 8a11853cd2..ae72de96b1 100644
--- a/docker/heat/heat-base/extend_start.sh
+++ b/docker/heat/heat-base/extend_start.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ if [[ $(stat -c %a /var/log/kolla/heat) != "755" ]]; then
 fi
 
 # Assume the service runs on top of Apache when user is root
-if [[ $USER == 'root' ]]; then
+if [[ "$(whoami)" == 'root' ]]; then
     # NOTE(pbourke): httpd will not clean up after itself in some cases which
     # results in the container not being able to restart. (bug #1489676, 1557036)
     if [[ "${KOLLA_BASE_DISTRO}" =~ debian|ubuntu ]]; then
diff --git a/docker/nova/nova-api/extend_start.sh b/docker/nova/nova-api/extend_start.sh
index f820dfa972..df277923ab 100644
--- a/docker/nova/nova-api/extend_start.sh
+++ b/docker/nova/nova-api/extend_start.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ if [[ "${!KOLLA_BOOTSTRAP[@]}" ]]; then
 fi
 
 # Assume the service runs on top of Apache when user is root
-if [[ $USER == 'root' ]]; then
+if [[ "$(whoami)" == 'root' ]]; then
     # NOTE(pbourke): httpd will not clean up after itself in some cases which
     # results in the container not being able to restart. (bug #1489676, 1557036)
     if [[ "${KOLLA_BASE_DISTRO}" =~ debian|ubuntu ]]; then
diff --git a/docker/zaqar/extend_start.sh b/docker/zaqar/extend_start.sh
index e0fb2142ec..f36093c570 100755
--- a/docker/zaqar/extend_start.sh
+++ b/docker/zaqar/extend_start.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ if [[ $(stat -c %a /var/log/kolla/zaqar) != "755" ]]; then
 fi
 
 # Assume the service runs on top of Apache when user is root
-if [[ $USER == 'root' ]]; then
+if [[ "$(whoami)" == 'root' ]]; then
     # NOTE(pbourke): httpd will not clean up after itself in some cases which
     # results in the container not being able to restart. (bug #1489676, 1557036)
     if [[ "${KOLLA_BASE_DISTRO}" =~ debian|ubuntu ]]; then