diff --git a/doc/MANUAL.md b/doc/MANUAL.md
index b65a004..49a29c5 100644
--- a/doc/MANUAL.md
+++ b/doc/MANUAL.md
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ This is the manual for version %%VERSION%%.
 1. [Script execution](#script_execution)
     - [Validation](#script_validation)
     - [Field Values](#script_fieldvalues)
+    - [Execution security policy](#script_runas)
 1. [Users](#users)
     - [Passwords](#users_passwords)
     - [Form limiting](#users_formlimit)
@@ -448,6 +449,11 @@ Structurally, they are made up of the following elements:
       view it, if you know its name. This is useful for other forms to
       redirect to this forms and such.
 
+    - **`run_as`**: Change to this user (and its groups) before running the
+      script. Only works if Scriptform is running as `root`. See also
+      [Execution security policy](#script_runas) **Optional**, **String**,
+      **Default:** `nobody`.
+
     - **`fields`**: List of fields in the form. Each field is a dictionary.
       **Required**, **List of dictionaries**.
 
@@ -871,7 +877,7 @@ out themselves.
 
 
 
-## <a name="script_executing">Script execution</a>
+## <a name="script_execution">Script execution</a>
 
 When the user submits the form, Scriptform will validate the provided values.
 If they check out, the specified script for the form will be executed.
@@ -944,6 +950,18 @@ ends.
 Examples of file uploads can be found in the `examples/simple` and
 `examples/megacorp` directories.
 
+### <a name="script_runas">Execution security policy</a>
+
+Running arbitrary scripts from Scriptform poses somewhat of a security risk.
+Scriptform tries to mitigate this risk by running scripts as a different user
+in some cases:
+
+* If Scriptform itelf is running as root:
+    - By default, scripts will be run as user 'nobody'.
+    - If a form specifies as `run_as` field, scripts will be executed as that user.
+* If Scriptform itself is running as a non-root user, scripts will be executed
+  as that user.
+
 
 
 
diff --git a/examples/run_as/README.md b/examples/run_as/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c93b17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/run_as/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+ScriptForm test example
+=========================
+
+This test example shows the usage of the `run_as` functionality. If we specify a `run_as` field in a form like so:
+
+
+    "forms": [
+        {
+            "name": "run_as",
+            "title": "Run as...",
+            "description": "",
+            "submit_title": "Run",
+            "run_as": "man",
+            "script": "job_run_as.py",
+            "fields": []
+        }
+    ]
+
+Scriptform will try to run the script as that user (in this case: `man`). This
+requires Scriptform to be running as root. 
+
+If no `run_as` is given in a script, Scriptform will execute scripts as the
+current user (the one running Scriptform). If, however, Scriptform is being run
+as root and you don't specify a `run_as` user, the scripts will run as user
+`nobody` for security considerations!
diff --git a/examples/run_as/job_run_as.py b/examples/run_as/job_run_as.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..0462457
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/run_as/job_run_as.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+
+import os
+import pwd
+import grp
+
+pw = pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid())
+gr = grp.getgrgid(pw.pw_gid)
+groups = [g.gr_gid for g in grp.getgrall() if pw.pw_name in g.gr_mem]
+priv_esc = True
+try:
+    os.seteuid(0)
+except OSError:
+    priv_esc = False
+
+print """Running as:
+
+uid = {0}
+gid = {1}
+groups = {2}""".format(pw.pw_uid, gr.gr_gid, str(groups))
+
diff --git a/examples/run_as/run_as.json b/examples/run_as/run_as.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..048fde1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/run_as/run_as.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+    "title": "Run as",
+    "forms": [
+        {
+            "name": "run_as",
+            "title": "Run as...",
+            "description": "",
+            "submit_title": "Run",
+            "run_as": "man",
+            "script": "/tmp/test/job_run_as.py",
+            "fields": [
+            ]
+        }
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/src/formconfig.py b/src/formconfig.py
index 57894a3..56d2e35 100644
--- a/src/formconfig.py
+++ b/src/formconfig.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ def run_as(uid, gid, groups):
         os.setuid(uid)
     return set_acc
 
+
 class FormConfigError(Exception):
     """
     Default error for FormConfig errors
@@ -100,17 +101,26 @@ class FormConfig(object):
         for key, value in form_values.items():
             env[key] = str(value)
 
-        # Get the user uid, gid and groups we should run as
-        pw = pwd.getpwnam(form.run_as)
-        gr = grp.getgrgid(pw.pw_gid)
-        groups = [g.gr_gid for g in grp.getgrall() if pw.pw_name in g.gr_mem]
-        uid = pw.pw_uid
-        gid = pw.pw_gid
-        msg = "Running script as user={0}, gid={1}, groups={2}"
-        self.log.info(msg.format(pw.pw_name, gr.gr_name, str(groups)))
-        if os.getuid() != 0:
-            self.log.error("Not running as root! Running as different user "
-                           "will probably fail!")
+        # Get the user uid, gid and groups we should run as. If the current
+        # user is root, we run as the given user or 'nobody' if no user was
+        # specified. Otherwise, we run as the user we already are.
+        run_as_uid = None
+        if os.getuid() == 0:
+            if form.run_as is not None:
+                pw = pwd.getpwnam(form.run_as)
+            else:
+                # Run as nobody
+                pw = pwd.getpwnam('nobody')
+            gr = grp.getgrgid(pw.pw_gid)
+            groups = [g.gr_gid for g in grp.getgrall() if pw.pw_name in g.gr_mem]
+            msg = "Running script as user={0}, gid={1}, groups={2}"
+            run_as_fn = run_as(pw.pw_uid, pw.pw_gid, groups)
+            self.log.info(msg.format(pw.pw_name, gr.gr_name, str(groups)))
+        else:
+            run_as_fn = None
+            if form.run_as is not None:
+                self.log.critical("Not running as root, so we can't run the script"
+                                  "as user '{0}'".format(form.run_as))
 
         # If the form output type is 'raw', we directly stream the output to
         # the browser. Otherwise we store it for later displaying.
@@ -121,7 +131,7 @@ class FormConfig(object):
                                         stderr=stderr,
                                         env=env,
                                         close_fds=True,
-                                        preexec_fn = run_as(uid, gid, groups))
+                                        preexec_fn=run_as_fn)
                 stdout, stderr = proc.communicate(input)
                 return proc.returncode
             except OSError as err:
@@ -136,7 +146,7 @@ class FormConfig(object):
                                         stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
                                         env=env,
                                         close_fds=True,
-                                        preexec_fn = run_as(uid, gid, groups))
+                                        preexec_fn=run_as_fn)
                 stdout, stderr = proc.communicate()
                 return {
                     'stdout': stdout,
diff --git a/src/formdefinition.py b/src/formdefinition.py
index 38a8175..35be8de 100644
--- a/src/formdefinition.py
+++ b/src/formdefinition.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class FormDefinition(object):
     """
     def __init__(self, name, title, description, fields, script,
                  output='escaped', hidden=False, submit_title="Submit",
-                 allowed_users=None, run_as='nobody'):
+                 allowed_users=None, run_as=None):
         self.name = name
         self.title = title
         self.description = description