diff --git a/manifests/dispersion.pp b/manifests/dispersion.pp
index 80993320..1c7fd9ab 100644
--- a/manifests/dispersion.pp
+++ b/manifests/dispersion.pp
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ class swift::dispersion (
 
   file { '/etc/swift/dispersion.conf':
     ensure => file,
-    owner  => 'swift',
-    group  => 'swift',
+    owner  => $::swift::params::user,
+    group  => $::swift::params::group,
     mode   => '0640',
   }
 
diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index 3dd1fd78..b650d71b 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ class swift(
   }
 
   File {
-    owner   => 'swift',
-    group   => 'swift',
-    tag     => 'swift-file',
+    owner => $::swift::params::user,
+    group => $::swift::params::group,
+    tag   => 'swift-file',
   }
 
   file { '/etc/swift':
diff --git a/manifests/memcache.pp b/manifests/memcache.pp
index a0f6a02b..38d2cc64 100644
--- a/manifests/memcache.pp
+++ b/manifests/memcache.pp
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ class swift::memcache (
 
   file { '/etc/swift/memcache.conf':
     ensure => file,
-    owner  => 'swift',
-    group  => 'swift',
+    owner  => $::swift::params::user,
+    group  => $::swift::params::group,
     mode   => '0640',
   }
 
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index 90794e9f..23cbd794 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ class swift::params {
   $client_package        = 'python3-swiftclient'
   $dnspython_pakage_name = 'python3-dnspython'
   $service_provider      = undef
+  $user                  = 'swift'
+  $group                 = 'swift'
 
   case $::osfamily {
     'Debian': {
diff --git a/manifests/ringserver.pp b/manifests/ringserver.pp
index 0595b850..62cc43d6 100644
--- a/manifests/ringserver.pp
+++ b/manifests/ringserver.pp
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ class swift::ringserver(
   rsync::server::module { 'swift_server':
     path            => '/etc/swift',
     lock_file       => '/var/lock/swift_server.lock',
-    uid             => 'swift',
-    gid             => 'swift',
+    uid             => $::swift::params::user,
+    gid             => $::swift::params::group,
     max_connections => $max_connections,
     read_only       => true,
   }
diff --git a/manifests/storage/disk.pp b/manifests/storage/disk.pp
index b71576e7..f961561b 100644
--- a/manifests/storage/disk.pp
+++ b/manifests/storage/disk.pp
@@ -70,12 +70,13 @@ define swift::storage::disk(
 ) {
 
   include swift::deps
+  include swift::params
 
   if(!defined(File[$mnt_base_dir])) {
     file { $mnt_base_dir:
       ensure  => directory,
-      owner   => 'swift',
-      group   => 'swift',
+      owner   => $::swift::params::user,
+      group   => $::swift::params::group,
       require => Anchor['swift::config::begin'],
       before  => Anchor['swift::config::end'],
     }
diff --git a/manifests/storage/generic.pp b/manifests/storage/generic.pp
index 79377c4e..99d33120 100644
--- a/manifests/storage/generic.pp
+++ b/manifests/storage/generic.pp
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ define swift::storage::generic(
 
   file { "/etc/swift/${name}-server/":
     ensure => directory,
-    owner  => 'swift',
-    group  => 'swift',
+    owner  => $::swift::params::user,
+    group  => $::swift::params::group,
     tag    => 'swift-file',
   }
 
diff --git a/manifests/storage/loopback.pp b/manifests/storage/loopback.pp
index 7870ce70..8d16822b 100644
--- a/manifests/storage/loopback.pp
+++ b/manifests/storage/loopback.pp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ define swift::storage::loopback(
 ) {
 
   include swift::deps
+  include swift::params
 
   if(!defined(File[$base_dir])) {
     file { $base_dir:
@@ -51,8 +52,8 @@ define swift::storage::loopback(
   if(!defined(File[$mnt_base_dir])) {
     file { $mnt_base_dir:
       ensure  => directory,
-      owner   => 'swift',
-      group   => 'swift',
+      owner   => $::swift::params::user,
+      group   => $::swift::params::group,
       require => Anchor['swift::config::begin'],
       before  => Anchor['swift::config::end'],
     }
diff --git a/manifests/storage/mount.pp b/manifests/storage/mount.pp
index ee5f9443..1f45dba8 100644
--- a/manifests/storage/mount.pp
+++ b/manifests/storage/mount.pp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ define swift::storage::mount(
 ) {
 
   include swift::deps
+  include swift::params
 
   if($loopback){
     $options = 'noatime,nodiratime,nofail,loop'
@@ -46,8 +47,8 @@ define swift::storage::mount(
   # needs to exist
   file { "${mnt_base_dir}/${name}":
     ensure  => directory,
-    owner   => 'swift',
-    group   => 'swift',
+    owner   => $::swift::params::user,
+    group   => $::swift::params::group,
     require => Anchor['swift::config::begin'],
     before  => Anchor['swift::config::end'],
   }
diff --git a/manifests/storage/node.pp b/manifests/storage/node.pp
index 765be811..90275333 100644
--- a/manifests/storage/node.pp
+++ b/manifests/storage/node.pp
@@ -24,11 +24,11 @@
 #
 # [*owner*]
 #   (optional) Owner (uid) of rsync server.
-#   Defaults to 'swift'.
+#   Defaults to $::swift::params::user.
 #
 # [*group*]
 #   (optional) Group (gid) of rsync server.
-#   Defaults to 'swift'.
+#   Defaults to $::swift::params::group.
 #
 # [*max_connections*]
 #   (optional) maximum number of simultaneous connections allowed.
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@
 define swift::storage::node(
   $mnt_base_dir,
   $zone,
-  $weight = 1,
-  $owner = 'swift',
-  $group  = 'swift',
-  $max_connections = 25,
+  $weight               = 1,
+  $owner                = undef,
+  $group                = undef,
+  $max_connections      = 25,
   $storage_local_net_ip = '127.0.0.1',
-  $policy_index = undef,
+  $policy_index         = undef,
 ) {
 
   include swift::deps
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ define swift::storage::node(
     storage_local_net_ip => $storage_local_net_ip,
     devices              => $mnt_base_dir,
     max_connections      => $max_connections,
-    owner                => $owner,
-    group                => $group,
+    owner                => pick($owner, $::swift::params::user),
+    group                => pick($group, $::swift::params::group),
   }
 
   swift::storage::server { "60${name}0":
diff --git a/manifests/storage/server.pp b/manifests/storage/server.pp
index 27a62820..f60a234d 100644
--- a/manifests/storage/server.pp
+++ b/manifests/storage/server.pp
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@
 #
 # [*owner*]
 #   (optional) Owner (uid) of rsync server.
-#   Defaults to 'swift'.
+#   Defaults to $::swift::params::user.
 #
 # [*group*]
 #   (optional) Group (gid) of rsync server.
-#   Defaults to 'swift'.
+#   Defaults to $::swift::params::group.
 #
 # [*max_connections*]
 #   (optional) maximum number of simultaneous connections allowed.
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 #
 # [*user*]
 #   (optional) User to run as
-#   Defaults to 'swift'.
+#   Defaults to $::swift::params::user.
 #
 # [*workers*]
 #   (optional) Override the number of pre-forked workers that will accept
@@ -201,15 +201,15 @@ define swift::storage::server(
   $type,
   $storage_local_net_ip,
   $devices                        = '/srv/node',
-  $owner                          = 'swift',
-  $group                          = 'swift',
+  $owner                          = undef,
+  $group                          = undef,
   $incoming_chmod                 = 'Du=rwx,g=rx,o=rx,Fu=rw,g=r,o=r',
   $outgoing_chmod                 = 'Du=rwx,g=rx,o=rx,Fu=rw,g=r,o=r',
   $max_connections                = 25,
   $pipeline                       = ["${type}-server"],
   $mount_check                    = true,
   $servers_per_port               = 0,
-  $user                           = 'swift',
+  $user                           = undef,
   $workers                        = $::os_workers,
   $replicator_concurrency         = 1,
   $replicator_interval            = 30,
@@ -245,9 +245,12 @@ define swift::storage::server(
   $container_sharder_interval     = 30,
   # DEPRECATED PARAMETERS
   $allow_versions                 = undef,
-) {
+){
 
   include swift::deps
+  include swift::params
+
+  $user_real = pick($user, $::swift::params::user)
 
   if $allow_versions != undef {
     warning('The allow_versions parameter is deprecated and will be removed in a future release')
@@ -285,8 +288,8 @@ define swift::storage::server(
   rsync::server::module { $type:
     path            => $devices,
     lock_file       => "/var/lock/${type}.lock",
-    uid             => $owner,
-    gid             => $group,
+    uid             => pick($owner, $::swift::params::user),
+    gid             => pick($group, $::swift::params::group),
     incoming_chmod  => $incoming_chmod,
     outgoing_chmod  => $outgoing_chmod,
     max_connections => $max_connections,
@@ -294,8 +297,8 @@ define swift::storage::server(
   }
 
   concat { "/etc/swift/${config_file_path}":
-    owner   => $owner,
-    group   => $group,
+    owner   => pick($owner, $::swift::params::user),
+    group   => pick($group, $::swift::params::group),
     notify  => Anchor['swift::config::end'],
     require => Anchor['swift::install::end'],
     tag     => 'swift-concat',
diff --git a/manifests/storage/xfs.pp b/manifests/storage/xfs.pp
index fda02f36..8c8b9bad 100644
--- a/manifests/storage/xfs.pp
+++ b/manifests/storage/xfs.pp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ define swift::storage::xfs(
 ) {
 
   include swift::deps
+  include swift::params
   include swift::xfs
 
   if $device == '' {
@@ -74,8 +75,8 @@ define swift::storage::xfs(
   if(!defined(File[$mnt_base_dir])) {
     file { $mnt_base_dir:
       ensure  => directory,
-      owner   => 'swift',
-      group   => 'swift',
+      owner   => $::swift::params::user,
+      group   => $::swift::params::group,
       require => Anchor['swift::config::begin'],
       before  => Anchor['swift::config::end'],
     }
diff --git a/spec/defines/swift_storage_mount_spec.rb b/spec/defines/swift_storage_mount_spec.rb
index 2cc30df2..1cc8e1e1 100644
--- a/spec/defines/swift_storage_mount_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/defines/swift_storage_mount_spec.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe 'swift::storage::mount' do
-  # TODO add unit tests
-
   let :title do
     'dans_mount_point'
   end
@@ -44,16 +42,16 @@ describe 'swift::storage::mount' do
         }
       end
 
-      let :facts do
-        {
+      before do
+        facts.merge!({
           :selinux => 'true',
-        }
+        })
       end
 
       it { is_expected.to contain_exec("restorecon_mount_dans_mount_point").with(
-        {:command     => "restorecon /srv/node/dans_mount_point",
-         :path        => ['/usr/sbin', '/sbin'],
-         :refreshonly => true}
+        :command     => "restorecon /srv/node/dans_mount_point",
+        :path        => ['/usr/sbin', '/sbin'],
+        :refreshonly => true
       )}
     end
   end
diff --git a/templates/account-server.conf.erb b/templates/account-server.conf.erb
index d4fa2a78..bdf49647 100644
--- a/templates/account-server.conf.erb
+++ b/templates/account-server.conf.erb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ devices = <%= @devices %>
 bind_ip = <%= @storage_local_net_ip %>
 bind_port = <%= @bind_port %>
 mount_check = <%= @mount_check %>
-user = <%= @user %>
+user = <%= @user_real %>
 workers = <%= @workers %>
 log_name = <%= @log_name %>
 log_facility = <%= @log_facility %>
diff --git a/templates/container-server.conf.erb b/templates/container-server.conf.erb
index cfc17b46..8f19991f 100644
--- a/templates/container-server.conf.erb
+++ b/templates/container-server.conf.erb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ devices = <%= @devices %>
 bind_ip = <%= @storage_local_net_ip %>
 bind_port = <%= @bind_port %>
 mount_check = <%= @mount_check %>
-user = <%= @user %>
+user = <%= @user_real %>
 log_name = <%= @log_name %>
 log_facility = <%= @log_facility %>
 log_level = <%= @log_level %>
diff --git a/templates/object-server.conf.erb b/templates/object-server.conf.erb
index 6b1b979f..efb95b8a 100644
--- a/templates/object-server.conf.erb
+++ b/templates/object-server.conf.erb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ bind_ip = <%= @storage_local_net_ip %>
 bind_port = <%= @bind_port %>
 mount_check = <%= @mount_check %>
 servers_per_port = <%= @servers_per_port %>
-user = <%= @user %>
+user = <%= @user_real %>
 log_name = <%= @log_name %>
 log_facility = <%= @log_facility %>
 log_level = <%= @log_level %>