diff --git a/apache/manifests/init.pp b/apache/manifests/init.pp
index 2f172d7..c5965ab 100644
--- a/apache/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/apache/manifests/init.pp
@@ -38,8 +38,22 @@ class apache::common {
 
 # Configure HTTP server.
 #
+# === Global variables
+#
+#   $httpd_user:
+#       User httpd runs as. Defaults to apache.
+#   $httpd_group:
+#       Group httpd runs as. Defaults to apache.
+#
 class apache::server inherits apache::common {
 
+    if ! $httpd_user {
+        $httpd_user = "apache"
+    }
+    if ! $httpd_group {
+        $httpd_group = "apache"
+    }
+
     file { [ "/etc/httpd/conf.http.d",
              "/etc/httpd/site.http.d",
              "/srv/www/http",
@@ -147,8 +161,22 @@ define apache::site($root="", $config="") {
 
 # Configure HTTPS server.
 #
+# === Global variables
+#
+#   $httpsd_user:
+#       User httpsd runs as. Defaults to httpsd.
+#   $httpsd_group:
+#       Group httpsd runs as. Defaults to httpsd.
+#
 class apache::sslserver inherits apache::common {
 
+    if ! $httpsd_user {
+        $httpsd_user = "httpsd"
+    }
+    if ! $httpsd_group {
+        $httpsd_group = "httpsd"
+    }
+
     package { "mod_ssl":
         ensure => installed
     }
diff --git a/apache/templates/httpd.conf.erb b/apache/templates/httpd.conf.erb
index d1e88f2..fe5bc78 100644
--- a/apache/templates/httpd.conf.erb
+++ b/apache/templates/httpd.conf.erb
@@ -230,8 +230,8 @@ Include conf.http.d/*.conf
 #  when the value of (unsigned)Group is above 60000; 
 #  don't use Group #-1 on these systems!
 #
-User apache
-Group apache
+User <%= httpd_user %>
+Group <%= httpd_group %>
 
 ### Section 2: 'Main' server configuration
 #
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ DocumentRoot "/srv/www/http/<%= fqdn %>"
 #
 # This should be changed to whatever you set DocumentRoot to.
 #
-<Directory "/srv/www/http/*">
+<Directory "/srv/www/http">
 
 #
 # Possible values for the Options directive are "None", "All",
@@ -355,7 +355,9 @@ DocumentRoot "/srv/www/http/<%= fqdn %>"
     # of a username on the system (depending on home directory
     # permissions).
     #
-    UserDir disable
+    # puppet note: commented to make it possible to configure UserDir via
+    # included config. UserDir is disabled by default since apache 2.1.14.
+    #UserDir disable
 
     #
     # To enable requests to /~user/ to serve the user's public_html
diff --git a/apache/templates/httpsd.conf.erb b/apache/templates/httpsd.conf.erb
index f2b246a..437b867 100644
--- a/apache/templates/httpsd.conf.erb
+++ b/apache/templates/httpsd.conf.erb
@@ -230,8 +230,8 @@ Include conf.https.d/*.conf
 #  when the value of (unsigned)Group is above 60000; 
 #  don't use Group #-1 on these systems!
 #
-User httpsd
-Group httpsd
+User <%= httpsd_user %>
+Group <%= httpsd_group %>
 
 ### Section 2: 'Main' server configuration
 #
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ DocumentRoot "/srv/www/https/<%= fqdn %>"
 #
 # This should be changed to whatever you set DocumentRoot to.
 #
-<Directory "/srv/www/https/*">
+<Directory "/srv/www/https">
 
 #
 # Possible values for the Options directive are "None", "All",
@@ -355,7 +355,9 @@ DocumentRoot "/srv/www/https/<%= fqdn %>"
     # of a username on the system (depending on home directory
     # permissions).
     #
-    UserDir disable
+    # puppet note: commented to make it possible to configure UserDir via
+    # included config. UserDir is disabled by default since apache 2.1.14.
+    #UserDir disable
 
     #
     # To enable requests to /~user/ to serve the user's public_html