diff --git a/minix/fs/pfs/pfs.c b/minix/fs/pfs/pfs.c
index 52750a728..f73adb6fd 100644
--- a/minix/fs/pfs/pfs.c
+++ b/minix/fs/pfs/pfs.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <minix/drivers.h>
 #include <minix/fsdriver.h>
 #include <minix/vfsif.h>
+#include <minix/rs.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 
 /*
@@ -385,6 +386,20 @@ pfs_signal(int signo)
 	fsdriver_terminate();
 }
 
+/*
+ * Initialize PFS.
+ */
+static int
+pfs_init(int __unused type, sef_init_info_t * __unused info)
+{
+
+	/* Drop privileges. */
+	if (setuid(SERVICE_UID) != 0)
+		printf("PFS: warning, unable to drop privileges\n");
+
+	return OK;
+}
+
 /*
  * Perform SEF initialization.
  */
@@ -393,7 +408,7 @@ pfs_startup(void)
 {
 
 	/* Register initialization callbacks. */
-	sef_setcb_init_fresh(sef_cb_init_null);
+	sef_setcb_init_fresh(pfs_init);
 	sef_setcb_init_restart(sef_cb_init_fail);
 
 	/* No live update support for now. */
diff --git a/minix/include/minix/rs.h b/minix/include/minix/rs.h
index f5f8621d6..36dcf06ef 100644
--- a/minix/include/minix/rs.h
+++ b/minix/include/minix/rs.h
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ Interface to the reincarnation server
 
 #define SERVICE_LOGIN	"service"	/* passwd file entry for services */
 
+/* The following definition should be kept in sync with the actual /etc/passwd
+ * value for SERVICE_LOGIN for now, and removed altogether once we are able to
+ * obtain its value dynamically everywhere.
+ */
+#define SERVICE_UID		12		/* user ID for services */
+
 /* RSS definitions. */
 #define RSS_NR_IRQ		16
 #define RSS_NR_IO		16
diff --git a/minix/net/inet/inet.c b/minix/net/inet/inet.c
index 1c6aecb67..09ce1bfe4 100644
--- a/minix/net/inet/inet.c
+++ b/minix/net/inet/inet.c
@@ -161,7 +161,6 @@ static int sef_cb_init_fresh(int type, sef_init_info_t *info)
 	int timerand, fd;
 	u8_t randbits[32];
 	struct timeval tv;
-	struct passwd *pw;
 
 #if DEBUG
 	printf("Starting inet...\n");
@@ -236,13 +235,9 @@ static int sef_cb_init_fresh(int type, sef_init_info_t *info)
 		ip_panic(("inet: can't subscribe to driver events"));
 	}
 
-	/* Drop root privileges */
-	if ((pw = getpwnam(SERVICE_LOGIN)) == NULL) {
-		printf("inet: unable to retrieve uid of SERVICE_LOGIN, "
-			"still running as root");
-	} else if (setuid(pw->pw_uid) != 0) {
-		ip_panic(("inet: unable to drop privileges"));
-	}
+	/* Drop privileges. */
+	if (setuid(SERVICE_UID) != 0)
+		printf("inet: warning, unable to drop privileges\n");
 
 	/* Announce we are up. INET announces its presence to VFS just like
 	 * any other character driver.