diff --git a/play.yml b/play.yml
index d2110ba..386b1f1 100644
--- a/play.yml
+++ b/play.yml
@@ -51,4 +51,6 @@
     tags: docker
   - name: "setup slurm test environment in docker containers"
     role: slurm
+    vars:
+      slurm_user: slurm # or root
     tags: slurm
diff --git a/roles/slurm/defaults/main.yml b/roles/slurm/defaults/main.yml
index 4c812ba..56e8641 100644
--- a/roles/slurm/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/slurm/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 container_privileged: False
+slurm_user: slurm
 slurm_log_path_ctld: /var/log/slurm/slurmctld.log
 slurm_log_path_d: /var/log/slurm/slurmd.log
 slurm_log_path_sched: /var/log/slurm/slurmsched.log
diff --git a/roles/slurm/files/slurm.Dockerfile b/roles/slurm/files/slurm.Dockerfile
index 1846b73..36799a9 100644
--- a/roles/slurm/files/slurm.Dockerfile
+++ b/roles/slurm/files/slurm.Dockerfile
@@ -14,16 +14,30 @@ RUN chown root:root /usr/local/sbin/entrypoint.sh && \
 
 ENTRYPOINT [ "/usr/local/sbin/entrypoint.sh" ]
 
+ARG slurmuser=slurm
+ENV slurmuser=${slurmuser}
+
+RUN useradd -d /var/lib/slurm -m --no-log-init --system $slurmuser &&\
+	slurm-setuser -u $slurmuser -g $slurmuser -y
+
+ENV SLURMCTLD_LOG_PATH="/var/log/slurm/slurmctld.log"
+ENV SLURMD_LOG_PATH="/var/log/slurm/slurmd.log"
+ENV SLURM_SCHED_LOG_PATH="/var/log/slurm/slurmsched.log"
+
 FROM base as slurmd
 
 RUN	yum install -y slurm-slurmd && \
 	yum clean all && rm -rf /var/cache/yum
 
-CMD bash -c 'cat <({ su -s /bin/sh -c "munged -F" munge & slurmd -D & })'
+CMD bash -c 'cat <({ su -s /bin/sh -c "munged -F" munge & \
+	slurmd -D 2>/dev/null 1>/dev/null & \
+	tail --retry --pid $! -f ${SLURMD_LOG_PATH} ${SLURM_SCHED_LOG_PATH} & })'
 
 FROM base as slurmctld
 
 RUN	yum install -y slurm-slurmctld && \
 	yum clean all && rm -rf /var/cache/yum
 
-CMD bash -c 'cat <({ su -s /bin/sh -c "munged -F" munge & slurmctld -D & })'
+CMD bash -c 'cat <({ su -s /bin/sh -c "munged -F" munge & \
+	su -s /bin/sh -c "slurmctld -D" ${slurmuser} 2>/dev/null 1>/dev/null & \
+	tail --retry --pid $! -f ${SLURMCTLD_LOG_PATH} ${SLURM_SCHED_LOG_PATH} & })'
diff --git a/roles/slurm/files/slurmctld.Dockerfile b/roles/slurm/files/slurmctld.Dockerfile
index 1deb7f0..efe2591 100644
--- a/roles/slurm/files/slurmctld.Dockerfile
+++ b/roles/slurm/files/slurmctld.Dockerfile
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ RUN chown root:root /usr/local/sbin/entrypoint.sh && \
 
 ENTRYPOINT [ "/usr/local/sbin/entrypoint.sh" ]
 
+ARG slurmuser=slurm
+ENV slurmuser=${slurmuser}
+
+RUN useradd -d /var/lib/slurm -m --no-log-init --system $slurmuser &&\
+	slurm-setuser -u $slurmuser -g $slurmuser -y
+
 RUN	yum install -y slurm-slurmctld && \
 	yum clean all && rm -rf /var/cache/yum
 
@@ -22,5 +28,5 @@ ENV SLURMD_LOG_PATH="/var/log/slurm/slurmd.log"
 ENV SLURM_SCHED_LOG_PATH="/var/log/slurm/slurmsched.log"
 
 CMD bash -c 'cat <({ su -s /bin/sh -c "munged -F" munge & \
-	slurmctld -D 2>/dev/null 1>/dev/null & \
+	su -s /bin/sh -c "slurmctld -D" ${slurmuser} 2>/dev/null 1>/dev/null & \
 	tail --retry --pid $! -f ${SLURMCTLD_LOG_PATH} ${SLURM_SCHED_LOG_PATH} & })'
diff --git a/roles/slurm/files/slurmd.Dockerfile b/roles/slurm/files/slurmd.Dockerfile
index 2549727..e20c91b 100644
--- a/roles/slurm/files/slurmd.Dockerfile
+++ b/roles/slurm/files/slurmd.Dockerfile
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ RUN chown root:root /usr/local/sbin/entrypoint.sh && \
 
 ENTRYPOINT [ "/usr/local/sbin/entrypoint.sh" ]
 
+ARG slurmuser=slurm
+ENV slurmuser=${slurmuser}
+
+RUN useradd -d /var/lib/slurm -m --no-log-init --system $slurmuser &&\
+	slurm-setuser -u $slurmuser -g $slurmuser -y
+
 RUN yum install -y slurm-slurmd && \
 	yum clean all && rm -rf /var/cache/yum
 
diff --git a/roles/slurm/tasks/main.yml b/roles/slurm/tasks/main.yml
index 8ee8ff0..563942d 100644
--- a/roles/slurm/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/slurm/tasks/main.yml
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@
     volumes: "{{default_mounts + ( item.extra_mounts | default([]) ) }}"
     networks:
     - name: "slurm"
+    env:
+      slurmuser: "{{slurm_user}}"
     image: "{{item.image}}"
     state: started
     detach: True
diff --git a/roles/slurm/templates/slurm.conf.j2 b/roles/slurm/templates/slurm.conf.j2
index cc7e0fe..3b11bc9 100644
--- a/roles/slurm/templates/slurm.conf.j2
+++ b/roles/slurm/templates/slurm.conf.j2
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ CryptoType=crypto/munge
 #MaxStepCount=40000
 #MaxTasksPerNode=128
 MpiDefault=pmix
+# when running slurmd as user change to: MpiDefault=none
 #MpiParams=ports=#-#
 #PluginDir=
 #PlugStackConfig=
@@ -57,8 +58,9 @@ SlurmctldPort=6817
 SlurmdPidFile=/var/run/slurm/slurmd.pid
 SlurmdPort=6818
 SlurmdSpoolDir=/var/spool/slurm/d
-SlurmUser=root
-#SlurmdUser=root
+SlurmUser={{slurm_user}}
+SlurmdUser=root
+# SlurmdUser=slurm -> sbatch does not work
 #SrunEpilog=
 #SrunProlog=
 StateSaveLocation=/var/spool/slurm/ctld
@@ -130,7 +132,7 @@ AccountingStorageType=accounting_storage/none
 #AccountingStorageUser=
 AccountingStoreJobComment=YES
 ClusterName=cluster
-#DebugFlags=
+#DebugFlags=Steps,TraceJobs
 #JobCompHost=
 JobCompLoc=/tmp/jobcomp
 #JobCompPass=
@@ -141,12 +143,9 @@ JobCompType=jobcomp/filetxt
 JobAcctGatherFrequency=30
 JobAcctGatherType=jobacct_gather/none
 SlurmctldDebug=verbose
-#SlurmctldLogFile=
 SlurmctldLogFile={{slurm_log_path_ctld}}
 SlurmdDebug=verbose
-#SlurmdLogFile=
 SlurmdLogFile={{slurm_log_path_d}}
-#SlurmSchedLogFile=
 SlurmSchedLogFile={{slurm_log_path_sched}}
 #SlurmSchedLogLevel=
 #