diff --git a/sdk_container/src/third_party/portage-stable/eclass/acct-user.eclass b/sdk_container/src/third_party/portage-stable/eclass/acct-user.eclass
index b3bcff7e55..5e34a7efcf 100644
--- a/sdk_container/src/third_party/portage-stable/eclass/acct-user.eclass
+++ b/sdk_container/src/third_party/portage-stable/eclass/acct-user.eclass
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright 2019-2024 Gentoo Authors
+# Copyright 2019-2025 Gentoo Authors
 # Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2
 
 # @ECLASS: acct-user.eclass
@@ -337,10 +337,11 @@ acct-user_pkg_preinst() {
 		return
 	fi
 
+	local groups=( ${_ACCT_USER_GROUPS} )
+
 	if egetent passwd "${ACCT_USER_NAME}" >/dev/null; then
 		elog "User ${ACCT_USER_NAME} already exists"
 	else
-		local groups=( ${_ACCT_USER_GROUPS} )
 		local aux_groups=${groups[*]:1}
 		local opts=(
 			--system
@@ -370,14 +371,30 @@ acct-user_pkg_preinst() {
 
 	if [[ ${_ACCT_USER_HOME} != /dev/null ]]; then
 		# default ownership to user:group
-		if [[ -z ${_ACCT_USER_HOME_OWNER} ]]; then
-			if [[ -n ${ROOT} ]]; then
-				local euid=$(egetent passwd ${ACCT_USER_NAME} | cut -d: -f3)
-				local egid=$(egetent passwd ${ACCT_USER_NAME} | cut -d: -f4)
-				_ACCT_USER_HOME_OWNER=${euid}:${egid}
-			else
-				_ACCT_USER_HOME_OWNER=${ACCT_USER_NAME}:${groups[0]}
+		local user=${ACCT_USER_NAME}
+		local group=${groups[0]}
+		if [[ -n ${ROOT} ]]; then
+			# resolve user:group to uid:gid
+			if [[ ${_ACCT_USER_HOME_OWNER} == *:* ]]; then
+				user=${_ACCT_USER_HOME_OWNER%:*}
+				group=${_ACCT_USER_HOME_OWNER#*:}
+			elif [[ -n ${_ACCT_USER_HOME_OWNER} ]]; then
+				user=${_ACCT_USER_HOME_OWNER}
+				group=
 			fi
+			local euid= egid=
+			if [[ -n ${user} ]]; then
+				euid=$(egetent passwd "${user}" | cut -d: -f3)
+				if [[ -z ${group} ]]; then
+					egid=$(egetent passwd "${user}" | cut -d: -f4)
+				fi
+			fi
+			if [[ -n ${group} ]]; then
+				egid=$(egetent group "${group}" | cut -d: -f3)
+			fi
+			_ACCT_USER_HOME_OWNER=${euid}:${egid}
+		elif [[ -z ${_ACCT_USER_HOME_OWNER} ]]; then
+			_ACCT_USER_HOME_OWNER=${user}:${group}
 		fi
 		# Path might be missing due to INSTALL_MASK, etc.
 		# https://bugs.gentoo.org/691478