diff --git a/src/libudev/libudev-private.h b/src/libudev/libudev-private.h
index 8fd86f29348..af0f125c739 100644
--- a/src/libudev/libudev-private.h
+++ b/src/libudev/libudev-private.h
@@ -168,6 +168,8 @@ uint64_t util_string_bloom64(const char *str);
 
 /* libudev-util-private.c */
 int util_delete_path(struct udev *udev, const char *path);
+uid_t util_lookup_user(struct udev *udev, const char *user);
+gid_t util_lookup_group(struct udev *udev, const char *group);
 int util_resolve_subsys_kernel(struct udev *udev, const char *string, char *result, size_t maxsize, int read_value);
 ssize_t print_kmsg(const char *fmt, ...) _printf_(1, 2);
 
diff --git a/src/libudev/libudev-util.c b/src/libudev/libudev-util.c
index 93e78d5d079..d9cdde17514 100644
--- a/src/libudev/libudev-util.c
+++ b/src/libudev/libudev-util.c
@@ -77,6 +77,70 @@ int util_delete_path(struct udev *udev, const char *path)
         return err;
 }
 
+uid_t util_lookup_user(struct udev *udev, const char *user)
+{
+        char *endptr;
+        struct passwd pwbuf;
+        struct passwd *pw;
+        uid_t uid;
+        size_t buflen = sysconf(_SC_GETPW_R_SIZE_MAX);
+        char *buf = alloca(buflen);
+
+        if (streq(user, "root"))
+                return 0;
+        uid = strtoul(user, &endptr, 10);
+        if (endptr[0] == '\0')
+                return uid;
+
+        errno = getpwnam_r(user, &pwbuf, buf, buflen, &pw);
+        if (pw != NULL)
+                return pw->pw_uid;
+        if (errno == 0 || errno == ENOENT || errno == ESRCH)
+                udev_err(udev, "specified user '%s' unknown\n", user);
+        else
+                udev_err(udev, "error resolving user '%s': %m\n", user);
+        return 0;
+}
+
+gid_t util_lookup_group(struct udev *udev, const char *group)
+{
+        char *endptr;
+        struct group grbuf;
+        struct group *gr;
+        gid_t gid = 0;
+        size_t buflen = sysconf(_SC_GETPW_R_SIZE_MAX);
+        char *buf = NULL;
+
+        if (streq(group, "root"))
+                return 0;
+        gid = strtoul(group, &endptr, 10);
+        if (endptr[0] == '\0')
+                return gid;
+        gid = 0;
+        for (;;) {
+                char *newbuf;
+
+                newbuf = realloc(buf, buflen);
+                if (!newbuf)
+                        break;
+                buf = newbuf;
+                errno = getgrnam_r(group, &grbuf, buf, buflen, &gr);
+                if (gr != NULL) {
+                        gid = gr->gr_gid;
+                } else if (errno == ERANGE) {
+                        buflen *= 2;
+                        continue;
+                } else if (errno == 0 || errno == ENOENT || errno == ESRCH) {
+                        udev_err(udev, "specified group '%s' unknown\n", group);
+                } else {
+                        udev_err(udev, "error resolving group '%s': %m\n", group);
+                }
+                break;
+        }
+        free(buf);
+        return gid;
+}
+
 /* handle "[<SUBSYSTEM>/<KERNEL>]<attribute>" format */
 int util_resolve_subsys_kernel(struct udev *udev, const char *string,
                                char *result, size_t maxsize, int read_value)
diff --git a/src/udev/udev-rules.c b/src/udev/udev-rules.c
index 55185920fa0..cc562156fa6 100644
--- a/src/udev/udev-rules.c
+++ b/src/udev/udev-rules.c
@@ -459,7 +459,6 @@ static uid_t add_uid(struct udev_rules *rules, const char *owner) {
         unsigned int i;
         uid_t uid;
         unsigned int off;
-        int r;
 
         /* lookup, if we know it already */
         for (i = 0; i < rules->uids_cur; i++) {
@@ -469,9 +468,7 @@ static uid_t add_uid(struct udev_rules *rules, const char *owner) {
                         return uid;
                 }
         }
-        r = get_user_creds(&owner, &uid, NULL, NULL, NULL);
-        if (r < 0)
-                uid = 0;
+        uid = util_lookup_user(rules->udev, owner);
 
         /* grow buffer if needed */
         if (rules->uids_cur+1 >= rules->uids_max) {
@@ -502,7 +499,6 @@ static gid_t add_gid(struct udev_rules *rules, const char *group) {
         unsigned int i;
         gid_t gid;
         unsigned int off;
-        int r;
 
         /* lookup, if we know it already */
         for (i = 0; i < rules->gids_cur; i++) {
@@ -512,9 +508,7 @@ static gid_t add_gid(struct udev_rules *rules, const char *group) {
                         return gid;
                 }
         }
-        r = get_group_creds(&group, &gid);
-        if (r < 0)
-                gid = 0;
+        gid = util_lookup_group(rules->udev, group);
 
         /* grow buffer if needed */
         if (rules->gids_cur+1 >= rules->gids_max) {
@@ -2176,7 +2170,6 @@ int udev_rules_apply_to_event(struct udev_rules *rules,
                         break;
                 case TK_A_OWNER: {
                         char owner[UTIL_NAME_SIZE];
-                        int r;
 
                         if (event->owner_final)
                                 break;
@@ -2184,9 +2177,7 @@ int udev_rules_apply_to_event(struct udev_rules *rules,
                                 event->owner_final = true;
                         udev_event_apply_format(event, rules_str(rules, cur->key.value_off), owner, sizeof(owner));
                         event->owner_set = true;
-                        r = get_user_creds(&owner, &event->uid, NULL, NULL, NULL);
-                        if (r < 0)
-                                event->uid = 0;
+                        event->uid = util_lookup_user(event->udev, owner);
                         log_debug("OWNER %u %s:%u",
                                   event->uid,
                                   rules_str(rules, rule->rule.filename_off),
@@ -2195,7 +2186,6 @@ int udev_rules_apply_to_event(struct udev_rules *rules,
                 }
                 case TK_A_GROUP: {
                         char group[UTIL_NAME_SIZE];
-                        int r;
 
                         if (event->group_final)
                                 break;
@@ -2203,9 +2193,7 @@ int udev_rules_apply_to_event(struct udev_rules *rules,
                                 event->group_final = true;
                         udev_event_apply_format(event, rules_str(rules, cur->key.value_off), group, sizeof(group));
                         event->group_set = true;
-                        r = get_group_creds(&group, &event->gid);
-                        if (r < 0)
-                                event->gid = 0;
+                        event->gid = util_lookup_group(event->udev, group);
                         log_debug("GROUP %u %s:%u",
                                   event->gid,
                                   rules_str(rules, rule->rule.filename_off),