diff --git a/service/application/docker/Dockerfile b/service/application/docker/Dockerfile
index cfd77707..dfd19886 100644
--- a/service/application/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/service/application/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -1,9 +1,21 @@
 ARG BASE_IMAGE
 FROM ${BASE_IMAGE}
 
+# default user name is "emauser"
+ARG USER=emauser
+ENV HOME /home/$USER
+
 VOLUME /tmp
 
-RUN mkdir -p /opt/ema && chmod 777 /opt/ema && mkdir -p /opt/ema/terraform && chmod 777 /opt/ema/terraform
+# create user and directory setup
+RUN adduser -D $USER && \
+    mkdir -p /opt/ema && \
+    chmod 777 /opt/ema && \
+    mkdir -p /opt/ema/terraform && \
+    chmod 777 /opt/ema/terraform && \
+    chown -R $USER:$USER $HOME && \
+    chown -R $USER:$USER /opt/ema/    
+
 WORKDIR /opt/ema
 
 ARG PLATFORM=linux_amd64
@@ -11,16 +23,14 @@ ARG PLATFORM=linux_amd64
 COPY tofu_1.7.0_amd64.apk /opt/ema/terraform
 RUN apk --update add --allow-untrusted /opt/ema/terraform/tofu_1.7.0_amd64.apk
 
-ARG SOLACE_PROVIDER_VERSION=0.9.2-rc.2
-ADD terraform-provider-solacebroker_${SOLACE_PROVIDER_VERSION}_${PLATFORM}.tar.gz /opt/ema/terraform
-
-COPY .terraformrc /root/.terraformrc
-
+COPY .terraformrc $HOME/.terraformrc
 RUN printf '#!/bin/ash\ntofu $*' > /opt/ema/terraform/terraform
 RUN chmod +x /opt/ema/terraform/terraform
-
 ENV PATH $PATH:/opt/ema/terraform
 
+ARG SOLACE_PROVIDER_VERSION=0.9.2-rc.2
+ADD terraform-provider-solacebroker_${SOLACE_PROVIDER_VERSION}_${PLATFORM}.tar.gz /opt/ema/terraform
+
 ARG GITHASH
 ARG GITBRANCH
 ARG BUILD_TIMESTAMP
@@ -29,6 +39,9 @@ ENV GITHASH="${GITHASH}" \
     GITBRANCH="${GITBRANCH}" \
     BUILD_TIMESTAMP="${BUILD_TIMESTAMP}"
 
+# switch to the created user from root
+USER $USER
+
 ARG JAR_FILE
 ADD ${JAR_FILE} app.jar