diff --git a/matrix-synapse.spec b/matrix-synapse.spec
index 4fee036..f50ddaa 100644
--- a/matrix-synapse.spec
+++ b/matrix-synapse.spec
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ URL:        https://github.com/matrix-org/%{srcname}
 Source0:    %{url}/archive/v%{version}%{rcx}/%{srcname}-%{version}%{rcx}.tar.gz
 Source1:    synapse.sysconfig
 Source2:    synapse.service
+Source3:    matrix-synapse.sysusers
 # non-upstreamable patch to accept any version of python-cryptography, see RHBZ#1978949
 Patch1:     0001-relax-cryptography-dependency-version-requirement.patch
 BuildArch:  noarch
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ install -p -D -T -m 0644 contrib/systemd/log_config.yaml %{buildroot}%{_sysconfd
 install -p -D -T -m 0644 %{SOURCE1} %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/sysconfig/synapse
 install -p -D -T -m 0644 %{SOURCE2} %{buildroot}%{_unitdir}/synapse.service
 install -p -d -m 755 %{buildroot}/%{_sharedstatedir}/synapse
+install -p -D -m 0644 %{SOURCE3} %{buildroot}%{_sysusersdir}/%{name}.conf
 
 
 %check
@@ -110,11 +112,7 @@ PYTHONPATH=. trial-3 tests
 
 
 %pre
-getent group synapse >/dev/null || groupadd -r synapse
-getent passwd synapse >/dev/null || \
-    useradd -r -g synapse -d %{_sharedstatedir}/synapse -s /sbin/nologin \
-    -c "The user for the Synapse Matrix server" synapse
-exit 0
+%sysusers_create_compat %{SOURCE3}
 
 %post
 %systemd_post synapse.service
@@ -137,6 +135,7 @@ exit 0
 %attr(755,synapse,synapse) %dir %{_sharedstatedir}/synapse
 %attr(755,synapse,synapse) %dir %{_sysconfdir}/synapse
 %attr(644,synapse,synapse) %config(noreplace) %{_sysconfdir}/synapse/*
+%{_sysusersdir}/%{name}.conf
 
 
 %changelog
diff --git a/matrix-synapse.sysusers b/matrix-synapse.sysusers
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97adeeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/matrix-synapse.sysusers
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#Type  Name     ID  GECOS                                 Home directory  Shell
+u      synapse  -   "Runs the Synapse Matrix homeserver"  /run/synapse    /sbin/nologin