diff --git a/lib/libalpm/alpm.h b/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
index e7fc7bbf..84597ac4 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
@@ -1870,6 +1870,28 @@ int alpm_option_set_gpgdir(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *gpgdir);
 /** @} */
 
 
+/** @name Accessors for use sandboxuser
+ *
+ *  This controls the user that libalpm will use for sensitive operations like
+ *  downloading files.
+ * @{
+ */
+
+/** Returns the user to switch to for sensitive operations.
+ * @return the user name
+ */
+const char *alpm_option_get_sandboxuser(alpm_handle_t *handle);
+
+/** Sets the user to switch to for sensitive operations.
+ * @param handle the context handle
+ * @param sandboxuser the user to set
+ */
+int alpm_option_set_sandboxuser(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *sandboxuser);
+
+/* End of sandboxuser accessors */
+/** @} */
+
+
 /** @name Accessors for use syslog
  *
  * This controls whether libalpm will also use the syslog. Even if this option
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/handle.c b/lib/libalpm/handle.c
index ff573fba..2d360f46 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/handle.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/handle.c
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ void _alpm_handle_free(alpm_handle_t *handle)
 	FREE(handle->lockfile);
 	FREELIST(handle->architectures);
 	FREE(handle->gpgdir);
+	FREE(handle->sandboxuser);
 	FREELIST(handle->noupgrade);
 	FREELIST(handle->noextract);
 	FREELIST(handle->ignorepkg);
@@ -292,6 +293,12 @@ const char SYMEXPORT *alpm_option_get_gpgdir(alpm_handle_t *handle)
 	return handle->gpgdir;
 }
 
+const char SYMEXPORT *alpm_option_get_sandboxuser(alpm_handle_t *handle)
+{
+	CHECK_HANDLE(handle, return NULL);
+	return handle->sandboxuser;
+}
+
 int SYMEXPORT alpm_option_get_usesyslog(alpm_handle_t *handle)
 {
 	CHECK_HANDLE(handle, return -1);
@@ -595,6 +602,19 @@ int SYMEXPORT alpm_option_set_gpgdir(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *gpgdir)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int SYMEXPORT alpm_option_set_sandboxuser(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *sandboxuser)
+{
+	CHECK_HANDLE(handle, return -1);
+	if(handle->sandboxuser) {
+		FREE(handle->sandboxuser);
+	}
+
+	STRDUP(handle->sandboxuser, sandboxuser, RET_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, -1));
+
+	_alpm_log(handle, ALPM_LOG_DEBUG, "option 'sandboxuser' = %s\n", handle->sandboxuser);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int SYMEXPORT alpm_option_set_usesyslog(alpm_handle_t *handle, int usesyslog)
 {
 	CHECK_HANDLE(handle, return -1);
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/handle.h b/lib/libalpm/handle.h
index da018240..63efc3d0 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/handle.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/handle.h
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ struct _alpm_handle_t {
 	char *logfile;           /* Name of the log file */
 	char *lockfile;          /* Name of the lock file */
 	char *gpgdir;            /* Directory where GnuPG files are stored */
+	char *sandboxuser;       /* User to switch to for sensitive operations */
 	alpm_list_t *cachedirs;  /* Paths to pacman cache directories */
 	alpm_list_t *hookdirs;   /* Paths to hook directories */
 	alpm_list_t *overwrite_files; /* Paths that may be overwritten */
diff --git a/src/pacman/conf.c b/src/pacman/conf.c
index 7318ad54..ba5e1f5d 100644
--- a/src/pacman/conf.c
+++ b/src/pacman/conf.c
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ int config_free(config_t *oldconfig)
 	free(oldconfig->dbpath);
 	free(oldconfig->logfile);
 	free(oldconfig->gpgdir);
+	free(oldconfig->sandboxuser);
 	FREELIST(oldconfig->hookdirs);
 	FREELIST(oldconfig->cachedirs);
 	free(oldconfig->xfercommand);
@@ -670,6 +671,11 @@ static int _parse_options(const char *key, char *value,
 				config->logfile = strdup(value);
 				pm_printf(ALPM_LOG_DEBUG, "config: logfile: %s\n", value);
 			}
+		} else if(strcmp(key, "DownloadUser") == 0) {
+			if(!config->sandboxuser) {
+				config->sandboxuser = strdup(value);
+				pm_printf(ALPM_LOG_DEBUG, "config: sandboxuser: %s\n", value);
+			}
 		} else if(strcmp(key, "XferCommand") == 0) {
 			char **c;
 			if((config->xfercommand_argv = wordsplit(value)) == NULL) {
@@ -922,6 +928,7 @@ static int setup_libalpm(void)
 	alpm_option_set_architectures(handle, config->architectures);
 	alpm_option_set_checkspace(handle, config->checkspace);
 	alpm_option_set_usesyslog(handle, config->usesyslog);
+	alpm_option_set_sandboxuser(handle, config->sandboxuser);
 
 	alpm_option_set_ignorepkgs(handle, config->ignorepkg);
 	alpm_option_set_ignoregroups(handle, config->ignoregrp);
diff --git a/src/pacman/conf.h b/src/pacman/conf.h
index 3fb07425..e9f17123 100644
--- a/src/pacman/conf.h
+++ b/src/pacman/conf.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ typedef struct __config_t {
 	char *logfile;
 	char *gpgdir;
 	char *sysroot;
+	char *sandboxuser;
 	alpm_list_t *hookdirs;
 	alpm_list_t *cachedirs;
 	alpm_list_t *architectures;
diff --git a/src/pacman/pacman-conf.c b/src/pacman/pacman-conf.c
index 27b93a29..d73d6c4c 100644
--- a/src/pacman/pacman-conf.c
+++ b/src/pacman/pacman-conf.c
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ static void dump_config(void)
 	show_list_str("HookDir", config->hookdirs);
 	show_str("GPGDir", config->gpgdir);
 	show_str("LogFile", config->logfile);
+	show_str("DownloadUser", config->sandboxuser);
 
 	show_list_str("HoldPkg", config->holdpkg);
 	show_list_str("IgnorePkg", config->ignorepkg);
@@ -362,6 +363,8 @@ static int list_directives(void)
 			show_str("GPGDir", config->gpgdir);
 		} else if(strcasecmp(i->data, "LogFile") == 0) {
 			show_str("LogFile", config->logfile);
+		} else if(strcasecmp(i->data, "DownloadUser") == 0) {
+			show_str("DownloadUser", config->sandboxuser);
 
 		} else if(strcasecmp(i->data, "HoldPkg") == 0) {
 			show_list_str("HoldPkg", config->holdpkg);