diff --git a/dev/celery/docker-init.sh b/dev/celery/docker-init.sh
index 9fb1d6324d..7e2b68425d 100755
--- a/dev/celery/docker-init.sh
+++ b/dev/celery/docker-init.sh
@@ -21,23 +21,20 @@ CELERY_ROLE="${CELERY_ROLE:-worker}"
 cd "$WORKSPACEDIR" || exit 255
 
 if [[ -n "${UPDATE_REQUIREMENTS_FROM}" ]]; then
+  # Need to run as root in the container for this
   reqs_file="${WORKSPACEDIR}/${UPDATE_REQUIREMENTS_FROM}"
   echo "Updating requirements from ${reqs_file}..."
   pip install --upgrade -r "${reqs_file}"
 fi
 
-if [[ "${CELERY_ROLE}" == "worker" ]]; then
-    echo "Running initial checks..."
-    /usr/local/bin/python $WORKSPACEDIR/ietf/manage.py check
-fi
-
 CELERY_OPTS=( "${CELERY_ROLE}" )
 if [[ -n "${CELERY_UID}" ]]; then
-  # ensure that some group with the necessary GID exists in container
+  # ensure that a user with the necessary UID exists in container
   if ! id "${CELERY_UID}" ; then
     adduser --system --uid "${CELERY_UID}" --no-create-home --disabled-login "celery-user-${CELERY_UID}"
   fi
   CELERY_OPTS+=("--uid=${CELERY_UID}")
+  CELERY_USERNAME="$(id -nu ${CELERY_UID})"
 fi
 
 if [[ -n "${CELERY_GID}" ]]; then
@@ -46,8 +43,17 @@ if [[ -n "${CELERY_GID}" ]]; then
     addgroup --gid "${CELERY_GID}" "celery-group-${CELERY_GID}"
   fi
   CELERY_OPTS+=("--gid=${CELERY_GID}")
+  CELERY_GROUP="$(getent group ${CELERY_GID} | awk -F: '{print $1}')"
 fi
 
+run_as_celery_uid () {
+  SU_OPTS=()
+  if [[ -n "${CELERY_GROUP}" ]]; then
+    SU_OPTS+=("-g" "${CELERY_GROUP}")
+  fi
+  su "${SU_OPTS[@]}" "${CELERY_USERNAME:-root}" -s /bin/sh -c "$@"
+}
+
 log_term_timing_msgs () {
   # output periodic debug message
   while true; do
@@ -68,6 +74,12 @@ cleanup () {
   fi
 }
 
+if [[ "${CELERY_ROLE}" == "worker" ]]; then
+    echo "Running initial checks..."
+    # Run checks as celery worker if one was specified
+    run_as_celery_uid /usr/local/bin/python $WORKSPACEDIR/ietf/manage.py check
+fi
+
 trap 'trap "" TERM; cleanup' TERM
 # start celery in the background so we can trap the TERM signal
 celery --app="${CELERY_APP:-ietf}" "${CELERY_OPTS[@]}" "$@" &
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index fc09974fe1..7b7b45709f 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ services:
 #
 #    beat:
 #        image: ghcr.io/ietf-tools/datatracker-celery:latest
+#        init: true
 #        environment:
 #            CELERY_APP: ietf
 #            CELERY_ROLE: beat