diff --git a/apps/wolfsshd/auth.c b/apps/wolfsshd/auth.c
index 136e75cd8..53722ee20 100644
--- a/apps/wolfsshd/auth.c
+++ b/apps/wolfsshd/auth.c
@@ -1363,6 +1363,12 @@ static int SetDefaultPublicKeyCheck(WOLFSSHD_AUTH* auth)
     return ret;
 }
 
+#ifndef WOLFSSH_SSHD_USER
+    #define WOLFSSH_SSHD_USER sshd
+#endif
+#define WOLFSSH_USER_GET_STRING(x) #x
+#define WOLFSSH_USER_STRING(x) WOLFSSH_USER_GET_STRING(x)
+
 static int SetDefualtUserID(WOLFSSHD_AUTH* auth)
 {
 #ifdef _WIN32
@@ -1370,13 +1376,13 @@ static int SetDefualtUserID(WOLFSSHD_AUTH* auth)
     return 0;
 #else
     struct passwd* pwInfo;
-    const char* usr = "sshd";
     int ret = WS_SUCCESS;
 
-    pwInfo = getpwnam(usr);
+    pwInfo = getpwnam(WOLFSSH_USER_STRING(WOLFSSH_SSHD_USER));
     if (pwInfo == NULL) {
         /* user name not found on system */
-        wolfSSH_Log(WS_LOG_INFO, "[SSHD] No sshd user found to use");
+        wolfSSH_Log(WS_LOG_INFO, "[SSHD] No %s user found to use",
+            WOLFSSH_USER_STRING(WOLFSSH_SSHD_USER));
         ret = WS_FATAL_ERROR;
     }