diff --git a/tasks/build/os_packages.js b/tasks/build/os_packages.js
index 57831e2d27831..66ace9731b3f3 100644
--- a/tasks/build/os_packages.js
+++ b/tasks/build/os_packages.js
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
         '--after-install', resolve(packageScriptsDir, 'post_install.sh'),
         '--before-remove', resolve(packageScriptsDir, 'pre_remove.sh'),
         '--after-remove', resolve(packageScriptsDir, 'post_remove.sh'),
-        '--config-files', '/opt/kibana/config/kibana.yml'
+        '--config-files', '/opt/kibana/config/kibana.yml',
+        '--template-value', 'user=kibana'
       ];
 
       const files = buildDir + '/=/opt/kibana';
diff --git a/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_install.sh b/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_install.sh
index 68e55325c319b..02696466cb3a8 100644
--- a/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_install.sh
+++ b/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_install.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ user_create() {
   useradd -r "$1"
 }
 
-if ! user_check "kibana" ; then
-  user_create "kibana"
+if ! user_check "<%= user %>" ; then
+  user_create "<%= user %>"
 fi
-chown kibana /opt/kibana/optimize
+chown <%= user %> /opt/kibana/optimize
diff --git a/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_remove.sh b/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_remove.sh
index 7dd25450bdaf6..4c08f1553d98d 100644
--- a/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_remove.sh
+++ b/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_remove.sh
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ user_remove() {
 
 case $1 in
     purge|0)
-        if user_check "kibana" ; then
-          user_remove "kibana"
+        if user_check "<%= user %>"  ; then
+          user_remove "<%= user %>"
         fi
         ;;
 esac