diff --git a/lib/router/config-router.js b/lib/router/config-router.js
index f30d5a20..818b6710 100644
--- a/lib/router/config-router.js
+++ b/lib/router/config-router.js
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ function checkPermissions(conf) {
 
   // If we got here, we're not running as root
 
-  if (users.length) {
+  if (users.length && !users[0].values.users.includes(':ANY:') ) {
     var userLine = users[0].values.users;
     throwForNode(users[0],
         new Error("The user '" + permissions.getProcessUser() + "' does not have permissions to run applications as one of the users in '" + 
@@ -371,6 +371,10 @@ function createSiteDir(locNode, node, settings) {
     throwForNode(locNode, new Error(
         'Required "run_as" directive not present or has no users.'));
 
+  if (runas.includes(':ANY:'))
+    logger.trace('Running as :ANY: user.');
+    runas = permissions.getProcessUser();
+
   var logdir = locNode.getValues('log_dir').path;
   if (!logdir)
     throwForNode(locNode, new Error(