diff --git a/cmd/setup/setup.go b/cmd/setup/setup.go
index 3b5af04..d677ae6 100644
--- a/cmd/setup/setup.go
+++ b/cmd/setup/setup.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func install(system bool) error {
 
 	if setupGeteuid() == 0 {
 		fmt.Printf("%s %s\n", ui.Colors.Yellow("⚠"),
-			"Running as root without --system configures only root's home. Use `pmg setup install --system` so all users are covered.")
+			"Running as root without --system does not protect other users. Use `pmg setup install --system` so all users are covered.")
 	}
 
 	if err := config.WriteTemplateConfig(); err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/audit/cloud_sink.go b/internal/audit/cloud_sink.go
index 32f3c77..44565d0 100644
--- a/internal/audit/cloud_sink.go
+++ b/internal/audit/cloud_sink.go
@@ -129,6 +129,9 @@ func invokingUser() *user.User {
 			if u, err := user.Lookup(name); err == nil {
 				return u
 			}
+			// No passwd entry for the sudo user (minimal containers): keep
+			// the attribution sudo recorded rather than reporting root.
+			return &user.User{Username: name, Uid: os.Getenv("SUDO_UID")}
 		}
 	}
 	u, err := user.Current()
diff --git a/internal/audit/cloud_sink_test.go b/internal/audit/cloud_sink_test.go
index abc2f81..ffc0bcc 100644
--- a/internal/audit/cloud_sink_test.go
+++ b/internal/audit/cloud_sink_test.go
@@ -180,3 +180,17 @@ func TestInvokingUserIgnoresSudoUserWhenNotElevated(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NotNil(t, got)
 	assert.Equal(t, current.Username, got.Username)
 }
+
+func TestInvokingUserKeepsSudoAttributionWithoutPasswdEntry(t *testing.T) {
+	orig := auditGeteuid
+	t.Cleanup(func() { auditGeteuid = orig })
+
+	auditGeteuid = func() int { return 0 }
+	t.Setenv("SUDO_USER", "no-such-user-xyz")
+	t.Setenv("SUDO_UID", "4242")
+
+	got := invokingUser()
+	require.NotNil(t, got)
+	assert.Equal(t, "no-such-user-xyz", got.Username)
+	assert.Equal(t, "4242", got.Uid)
+}
diff --git a/internal/shim/shim.go b/internal/shim/shim.go
index 69743f5..e385328 100644
--- a/internal/shim/shim.go
+++ b/internal/shim/shim.go
@@ -76,6 +76,14 @@ func (m *ShimManager) Install() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create shim directory %s: %w", m.config.BinDir, err)
 	}
 
+	if m.config.ManageProfile {
+		for _, dir := range []string{filepath.Dir(m.config.BinDir), m.config.BinDir} {
+			if err := secureSystemDir(dir); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	for _, pm := range m.config.PackageManagers {
 		if err := m.writeShimScript(pm); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to write shim for %s: %w", pm, err)
diff --git a/internal/shim/system.go b/internal/shim/system.go
index 431c760..f8a8a1c 100644
--- a/internal/shim/system.go
+++ b/internal/shim/system.go
@@ -207,6 +207,24 @@ func ValidateSystemBinary(path string) error {
 	return validateSystemExecutable(path)
 }
 
+// secureSystemDir forces root ownership and 0755 on a directory pmg manages
+// system-wide. MkdirAll leaves pre-existing directories untouched, so a dir
+// pre-created with weaker ownership (possible under Debian's group-writable
+// /usr/local/lib) would let a non-root user replace shims; this closes that
+// hole. No-op when not running as root (unit tests, dry contexts).
+func secureSystemDir(path string) error {
+	if os.Geteuid() != 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if err := os.Chown(path, 0, 0); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to set root ownership on %s: %w", path, err)
+	}
+	if err := os.Chmod(path, 0o755); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to set permissions on %s: %w", path, err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func shimsPresent(dir string) bool {
 	_, ok := firstShimContent(dir)
 	return ok
@@ -246,6 +264,9 @@ func writeSystemProfile(binDir string) error {
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), 0o755); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create profile.d directory: %w", err)
 	}
+	if err := secureSystemDir(filepath.Dir(path)); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	content := fmt.Sprintf(`# %s - managed by pmg setup install --system
 # remove by running: pmg setup remove --system
diff --git a/internal/shim/system_test.go b/internal/shim/system_test.go
index 7c5b62b..d8d6b74 100644
--- a/internal/shim/system_test.go
+++ b/internal/shim/system_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package shim
 import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -151,6 +152,9 @@ func TestValidateSystemExecutableRejectsGroupWritable(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestValidateSystemExecutableRejectsNonRootOwner(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skip("file ownership is not resolvable on Windows")
+	}
 	if os.Geteuid() == 0 {
 		t.Skip("running as root: temp file is root-owned, so the owner check passes")
 	}