--- a/svr-authpubkey.c
+++ b/svr-authpubkey.c
@@ -386,14 +386,19 @@ static int checkpubkey(const char* keyal
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	/* we don't need to check pw and pw_dir for validity, since
-	 * its been done in checkpubkeyperms. */
-	len = strlen(ses.authstate.pw_dir);
-	/* allocate max required pathname storage,
-	 * = path + "/.ssh/authorized_keys" + '\0' = pathlen + 22 */
-	filename = m_malloc(len + 22);
-	snprintf(filename, len + 22, "%s/.ssh/authorized_keys", 
-				ses.authstate.pw_dir);
+	if (ses.authstate.pw_uid != 0) {
+		/* we don't need to check pw and pw_dir for validity, since
+		 * its been done in checkpubkeyperms. */
+		len = strlen(ses.authstate.pw_dir);
+		/* allocate max required pathname storage,
+		 * = path + "/.ssh/authorized_keys" + '\0' = pathlen + 22 */
+		filename = m_malloc(len + 22);
+		snprintf(filename, len + 22, "%s/.ssh/authorized_keys",
+					ses.authstate.pw_dir);
+	} else {
+		filename = m_malloc(30);
+		strncpy(filename, "/etc/dropbear/authorized_keys", 30);
+	}
 
 #if DROPBEAR_SVR_MULTIUSER
 	/* open the file as the authenticating user. */
@@ -474,27 +479,36 @@ static int checkpubkeyperms() {
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	/* allocate max required pathname storage,
-	 * = path + "/.ssh/authorized_keys" + '\0' = pathlen + 22 */
-	len += 22;
-	filename = m_malloc(len);
-	strlcpy(filename, ses.authstate.pw_dir, len);
-
-	/* check ~ */
-	if (checkfileperm(filename) != DROPBEAR_SUCCESS) {
-		goto out;
-	}
+	if (ses.authstate.pw_uid == 0) {
+		if (checkfileperm("/etc/dropbear") != DROPBEAR_SUCCESS) {
+			goto out;
+		}
+		if (checkfileperm("/etc/dropbear/authorized_keys") != DROPBEAR_SUCCESS) {
+			goto out;
+		}
+	} else {
+		/* allocate max required pathname storage,
+		 * = path + "/.ssh/authorized_keys" + '\0' = pathlen + 22 */
+		len += 22;
+		filename = m_malloc(len);
+		strlcpy(filename, ses.authstate.pw_dir, len);
+
+		/* check ~ */
+		if (checkfileperm(filename) != DROPBEAR_SUCCESS) {
+			goto out;
+		}
 
-	/* check ~/.ssh */
-	strlcat(filename, "/.ssh", len);
-	if (checkfileperm(filename) != DROPBEAR_SUCCESS) {
-		goto out;
-	}
+		/* check ~/.ssh */
+		strlcat(filename, "/.ssh", len);
+		if (checkfileperm(filename) != DROPBEAR_SUCCESS) {
+			goto out;
+		}
 
-	/* now check ~/.ssh/authorized_keys */
-	strlcat(filename, "/authorized_keys", len);
-	if (checkfileperm(filename) != DROPBEAR_SUCCESS) {
-		goto out;
+		/* now check ~/.ssh/authorized_keys */
+		strlcat(filename, "/authorized_keys", len);
+		if (checkfileperm(filename) != DROPBEAR_SUCCESS) {
+			goto out;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/* file looks ok, return success */