diff --git a/src/ahriman/application/handlers/setup.py b/src/ahriman/application/handlers/setup.py
index 565afaee..940a3892 100644
--- a/src/ahriman/application/handlers/setup.py
+++ b/src/ahriman/application/handlers/setup.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import argparse
 
 from pathlib import Path
+from pwd import getpwuid
 from typing import Type
 
 from ahriman.application.application import Application
@@ -173,7 +174,9 @@ class Setup(Handler):
             packager(str): packager identifier (e.g. name, email)
             paths(RepositoryPaths): repository paths instance
         """
-        (paths.root / ".makepkg.conf").write_text(f"PACKAGER='{packager}'\n", encoding="utf8")
+        uid, _ = paths.root_owner
+        home_dir = Path(getpwuid(uid).pw_dir)
+        (home_dir / ".makepkg.conf").write_text(f"PACKAGER='{packager}'\n", encoding="utf8")
 
     @staticmethod
     def configuration_create_sudo(paths: RepositoryPaths, prefix: str, architecture: str) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/conftest.py b/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e49f6179
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import pytest
+
+from collections import namedtuple
+
+
+_passwd = namedtuple("passwd", ["pw_dir"])
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def passwd() -> _passwd:
+    """
+    get passwd structure for the user
+
+    Returns:
+        _passwd: passwd structure test instance
+    """
+    return _passwd("home")
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/test_handler_setup.py b/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/test_handler_setup.py
index 7bf661ee..428ae34a 100644
--- a/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/test_handler_setup.py
+++ b/tests/ahriman/application/handlers/test_handler_setup.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import pytest
 
 from pathlib import Path
 from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
+from typing import Any
 from unittest import mock
 
 from ahriman.application.handlers import Setup
@@ -130,15 +131,17 @@ def test_configuration_create_devtools_no_multilib(args: argparse.Namespace, rep
 
 
 def test_configuration_create_makepkg(args: argparse.Namespace, repository_paths: RepositoryPaths,
-                                      mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
+                                      passwd: Any, mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
     """
     must create makepkg configuration
     """
     args = _default_args(args)
-    write_text_mock = mocker.patch("pathlib.Path.write_text")
+    mocker.patch("ahriman.application.handlers.setup.getpwuid", return_value=passwd)
+    write_text_mock = mocker.patch("pathlib.Path.write_text", autospec=True)
 
     Setup.configuration_create_makepkg(args.packager, repository_paths)
-    write_text_mock.assert_called_once_with(pytest.helpers.anyvar(str, True), encoding="utf8")
+    write_text_mock.assert_called_once_with(
+        Path("home") / ".makepkg.conf", pytest.helpers.anyvar(str, True), encoding="utf8")
 
 
 def test_configuration_create_sudo(args: argparse.Namespace, repository_paths: RepositoryPaths,