diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index cbbc9beeb..15ece3320 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
         const bool clear_sessions = (bool)parser.get_switch("clear");
         if (list_sessions or clear_sessions)
         {
-            const String username = get_user_name(geteuid());
+            const String username = get_user_name();
             const StringView tmp_dir = tmpdir();
             for (auto& session : list_files(format("{}/kakoune/{}/", tmp_dir,
                                                    username)))
diff --git a/src/remote.cc b/src/remote.cc
index da441bd87..fafda9d5a 100644
--- a/src/remote.cc
+++ b/src/remote.cc
@@ -519,9 +519,12 @@ void RemoteUI::exit(int status)
     m_socket_watcher.events() |= FdEvents::Write;
 }
 
-String get_user_name(int uid)
+String get_user_name()
 {
-    return getpwuid(uid)->pw_name;
+    auto pw = getpwuid(geteuid());
+    if (pw)
+      return pw->pw_name;
+    return getenv("USER");
 }
 
 static sockaddr_un session_addr(StringView session)
@@ -535,7 +538,7 @@ static sockaddr_un session_addr(StringView session)
         format_to(addr.sun_path, "{}/kakoune/{}", tmpdir(), session);
     else
         format_to(addr.sun_path, "{}/kakoune/{}/{}", tmpdir(),
-                  get_user_name(geteuid()), session);
+                  get_user_name(), session);
     return addr;
 }
 
@@ -815,9 +818,9 @@ bool Server::rename_session(StringView name)
         throw runtime_error{format("invalid session name: '{}'", name)};
 
     String old_socket_file = format("{}/kakoune/{}/{}", tmpdir(),
-                                    get_user_name(geteuid()), m_session);
+                                    get_user_name(), m_session);
     String new_socket_file = format("{}/kakoune/{}/{}", tmpdir(),
-                                    get_user_name(geteuid()), name);
+                                    get_user_name(), name);
 
     if (rename(old_socket_file.c_str(), new_socket_file.c_str()) != 0)
         return false;
@@ -831,7 +834,7 @@ void Server::close_session(bool do_unlink)
     if (do_unlink)
     {
         String socket_file = format("{}/kakoune/{}/{}", tmpdir(),
-                                    get_user_name(geteuid()), m_session);
+                                    get_user_name(), m_session);
         unlink(socket_file.c_str());
     }
     m_listener->close_fd();
diff --git a/src/remote.hh b/src/remote.hh
index 19eb00713..fa04b006f 100644
--- a/src/remote.hh
+++ b/src/remote.hh
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ private:
 };
 
 void send_command(StringView session, StringView command);
-String get_user_name(int uid);
+String get_user_name();
 
 struct Server : public Singleton<Server>
 {