diff --git a/scripts/dev_cli.sh b/scripts/dev_cli.sh
index 8441e3f40..71a9cf757 100755
--- a/scripts/dev_cli.sh
+++ b/scripts/dev_cli.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ CLH_INTEGRATION_WORKLOADS="${HOME}/workloads"
 
 # Container paths
 CTR_CLH_ROOT_DIR="/cloud-hypervisor"
-CTR_CLH_CARGO_TARGET="${CTR_CLH_ROOT_DIR}/build/cargo_target"
+CTR_CLH_CARGO_BUILT_DIR="${CTR_CLH_ROOT_DIR}/build"
+CTR_CLH_CARGO_TARGET="${CTR_CLH_CARGO_BUILT_DIR}/cargo_target"
 CTR_CLH_INTEGRATION_WORKLOADS="/root/workloads"
 
 # Cargo paths
@@ -112,6 +113,25 @@ ensure_build_dir() {
     done
 }
 
+# Fix build/ dir permissions after a container ran as root
+# Since the container ran as root, any files it creates will be owned by root.
+# This fixes that by recursively changing the ownership of build/ to the
+# current user.
+#
+fix_build_dir_perms() {
+    # Yes, running Docker to get elevated privileges, just to chown some files
+    # is a dirty hack.
+    $DOCKER_RUNTIME run \
+	--workdir "$CTR_CLH_ROOT_DIR" \
+	   --rm \
+	   --volume /dev:/dev \
+	   --volume "$CLH_ROOT_DIR:$CTR_CLH_ROOT_DIR" \
+	   "$CTR_IMAGE" \
+           chown -R "$(id -u):$(id -g)" "$CTR_CLH_CARGO_BUILT_DIR"
+
+    return $1
+}
+
 cmd_help() {
     echo ""
     echo "Cloud Hypervisor $(basename $0)"
@@ -226,18 +246,17 @@ cmd_tests() {
 	       --volume /dev:/dev \
 	       --volume "$CLH_ROOT_DIR:$CTR_CLH_ROOT_DIR" \
 	       "$CTR_IMAGE" \
-	       ./scripts/run_unit_tests.sh "$@" || exit $?
+	       ./scripts/run_unit_tests.sh "$@" || fix_build_dir_perms $? || exit $?
     fi
 
     if [ "$cargo" = true ] ;  then
 	say "Running cargo tests..."
 	$DOCKER_RUNTIME run \
-	       --user "$(id -u):$(id -g)" \
 	       --workdir "$CTR_CLH_ROOT_DIR" \
 	       --rm \
 	       --volume "$CLH_ROOT_DIR:$CTR_CLH_ROOT_DIR" \
 	       "$CTR_IMAGE" \
-	       ./scripts/run_cargo_tests.sh || exit $?
+	       ./scripts/run_cargo_tests.sh || fix_build_dir_perms $? || exit $?
     fi
 
     if [ "$integration" = true ] ;  then
@@ -251,8 +270,10 @@ cmd_tests() {
 	       --volume "$CLH_ROOT_DIR:$CTR_CLH_ROOT_DIR" \
 	       --volume "$CLH_INTEGRATION_WORKLOADS:$CTR_CLH_INTEGRATION_WORKLOADS" \
 	       "$CTR_IMAGE" \
-	       ./scripts/run_integration_tests.sh "$@" || exit $?
+	       ./scripts/run_integration_tests.sh "$@" || fix_build_dir_perms $? || exit $?
     fi
+
+    fix_build_dir_perms $?
 }
 
 cmd_build-container() {