diff --git a/container_linux_test.go b/container_linux_test.go
index 6e53187ad..10e79f04e 100644
--- a/container_linux_test.go
+++ b/container_linux_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"runtime"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"syscall"
 	"testing"
@@ -364,3 +365,80 @@ func TestContainerAttach(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected output %q but received %q", expected, output)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestContainerUsername(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	client, err := newClient(t, address)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer client.Close()
+
+	var (
+		image       Image
+		ctx, cancel = testContext()
+		id          = t.Name()
+	)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	if runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
+		image, err = client.GetImage(ctx, testImage)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	direct, err := NewDirectIO(ctx, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	defer direct.Delete()
+	var (
+		wg  sync.WaitGroup
+		buf = bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+	)
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		io.Copy(buf, direct.Stdout)
+	}()
+
+	// squid user in the alpine image has a uid of 31
+	container, err := client.NewContainer(ctx, id,
+		withNewSnapshot(id, image),
+		WithNewSpec(withImageConfig(image), WithUsername("squid"), WithProcessArgs("id", "-u")),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	defer container.Delete(ctx, WithSnapshotCleanup)
+
+	task, err := container.NewTask(ctx, direct.IOCreate)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	defer task.Delete(ctx)
+
+	statusC, err := task.Wait(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	if err := task.Start(ctx); err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	<-statusC
+
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	output := strings.TrimSuffix(buf.String(), "\n")
+	if output != "31" {
+		t.Errorf("expected squid uid to be 31 but received %q", output)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/spec_opts_unix.go b/spec_opts_unix.go
index 86f3420c8..7e0cef518 100644
--- a/spec_opts_unix.go
+++ b/spec_opts_unix.go
@@ -6,10 +6,14 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
+
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/containers"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/content"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/images"
@@ -17,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/typeurl"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/identity"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
+	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/user"
 	specs "github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 )
 
@@ -100,6 +105,10 @@ func WithImageConfig(i Image) SpecOpts {
 			case 1:
 				v, err := strconv.ParseUint(parts[0], 0, 10)
 				if err != nil {
+					// if we cannot parse as a uint they try to see if it is a username
+					if err := WithUsername(config.User)(ctx, client, c, s); err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
 					return err
 				}
 				uid, gid = uint32(v), uint32(v)
@@ -319,3 +328,50 @@ func WithUserIDs(uid, gid uint32) SpecOpts {
 		return nil
 	}
 }
+
+// WithUsername sets the correct UID and GID for the container
+// based on the the image's /etc/passwd contents.
+// id is the snapshot id that is used
+func WithUsername(username string) SpecOpts {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, client *Client, c *containers.Container, s *specs.Spec) error {
+		if c.Snapshotter == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("no snapshotter set for container")
+		}
+		if c.RootFS == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("rootfs not created for container")
+		}
+		snapshotter := client.SnapshotService(c.Snapshotter)
+		mounts, err := snapshotter.Mounts(ctx, c.RootFS)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		root, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "ctd-username")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer os.RemoveAll(root)
+		for _, m := range mounts {
+			if err := m.Mount(root); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+		defer unix.Unmount(root, 0)
+		f, err := os.Open(filepath.Join(root, "/etc/passwd"))
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer f.Close()
+		users, err := user.ParsePasswdFilter(f, func(u user.User) bool {
+			return u.Name == username
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if len(users) == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("no users found for %s", username)
+		}
+		u := users[0]
+		s.Process.User.UID, s.Process.User.GID = uint32(u.Uid), uint32(u.Gid)
+		return nil
+	}
+}