1 files changed, 17 insertions, 11 deletions

diff --git a/coreutils/chown.c b/coreutils/chown.c
index fddce7cf1..a45348a24 100644
--- a/coreutils/chown.c
+++ b/coreutils/chown.c
@@ -54,32 +54,38 @@ static int fileAction(const char *fileName, struct stat *statbuf,
 
 int chown_main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-        int retval = EXIT_SUCCESS;
         char *groupName;
+        int retval = EXIT_SUCCESS;
 
         opt_complementary = "-2";
         getopt32(argc, argv, OPT_STR);
+        argv += optind;
 
         if (OPT_NODEREF) chown_func = lchown;
 
-        argv += optind;
-
         /* First, check if there is a group name here */
-        groupName = strchr(*argv, '.');
+        groupName = strchr(*argv, '.'); /* deprecated? */
         if (!groupName) {
                 groupName = strchr(*argv, ':');
         }
 
-        /* Check for the username and groupname */
-        if (groupName) {
-                *groupName++ = '\0';
-                gid = get_ug_id(groupName, bb_xgetgrnam);
+        /* First, try parsing "user[:[group]]" */
+        if (!groupName) { /* "user" */
+                uid = get_ug_id(*argv, xuname2uid);
+        } else if (groupName == *argv) { /* ":group" */
+                gid = get_ug_id(groupName + 1, xgroup2gid);
+        } else {
+                struct bb_uidgid_t ugid;
+                if (!groupName[1]) /* "user:" */
+                        *groupName = '\0';
+                if (!get_uidgid(&ugid, *argv, 1))
+                        bb_error_msg_and_die("unknown user/group %s", *argv);
+                uid = ugid.uid;
+                gid = ugid.gid;
         }
-        if (--groupName != *argv)
-                uid = get_ug_id(*argv, bb_xgetpwnam);
-        ++argv;
 
         /* Ok, ready to do the deed now */
+        argv++;
         do {
                 if (!recursive_action(*argv,
                                 OPT_RECURSE,    // recurse