diff --git a/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go b/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
index 34ede735..19b5d005 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
@@ -220,7 +220,12 @@ func buildOverlay(nodeList []node.NodeInfo, overlayType string) error {
 			if info.IsDir() {
 				wwlog.Printf(wwlog.DEBUG, "Found directory: %s\n", location)
 
-				err := os.MkdirAll(path.Join(tmpDir, location), info.Mode())
+				err = os.MkdirAll(path.Join(tmpDir, location), info.Mode())
+				if err != nil {
+					wwlog.Printf(wwlog.ERROR, "%s\n", err)
+					return err
+				}
+				err = util.CopyUIDGID(location, path.Join(tmpDir, location))
 				if err != nil {
 					wwlog.Printf(wwlog.ERROR, "%s\n", err)
 					return err
@@ -254,6 +259,10 @@ func buildOverlay(nodeList []node.NodeInfo, overlayType string) error {
 					wwlog.Printf(wwlog.ERROR, "tmpl.Execute %s\n", err)
 					return nil
 				}
+				err = util.CopyUIDGID(location, path.Join(tmpDir, location))
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 
 			} else if b, _ := regexp.MatchString(`\.ww[a-zA-Z0-9\-\._]*$`, location); b == true {
 				wwlog.Printf(wwlog.DEBUG, "Ignoring WW template file: %s\n", location)
diff --git a/internal/pkg/util/util.go b/internal/pkg/util/util.go
index d751ee1a..dad621b0 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/util/util.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/util/util.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/wwlog"
@@ -84,6 +85,10 @@ func CopyFile(source string, dest string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	CopyUIDGID(source, dest)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	sourceFD.Close()
 
 	return destFD.Close()
@@ -97,8 +102,16 @@ func CopyFiles(source string, dest string) error {
 
 		if info.IsDir() {
 			wwlog.Printf(wwlog.DEBUG, "Creating directory: %s\n", location)
+			info, err := os.Stat(source)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 
-			err := os.MkdirAll(path.Join(dest, location), info.Mode())
+			err = os.MkdirAll(path.Join(dest, location), info.Mode())
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			err = CopyUIDGID(source,dest)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -285,3 +298,20 @@ func SystemdStart(systemdName string) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func CopyUIDGID(source string, dest string) error {
+	info, err := os.Stat(source)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// root is always good, if we failt to get UID/GID of a file
+	var UID int = 0
+	var GID int = 0
+	if stat, ok := info.Sys().(*syscall.Stat_t); ok {
+		UID = int(stat.Uid)
+		GID = int(stat.Gid)
+	}
+	wwlog.Printf(wwlog.DEBUG, "Chown '%i':'%i' '%s'\n", UID, GID, dest)
+	err = os.Chown(dest, UID, GID)
+	return err
+}