diff --git a/usr.bin/xinstall/install.1 b/usr.bin/xinstall/install.1
index e223ef8b484c..82360116602a 100644
--- a/usr.bin/xinstall/install.1
+++ b/usr.bin/xinstall/install.1
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 .\" SUCH DAMAGE.
 .\"
 .\"	From: @(#)install.1	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
-.\"	$Id: install.1,v 1.3 1996/01/30 13:52:33 mpp Exp $
+.\"	$Id: install.1,v 1.4 1996/03/11 03:31:51 mpp Exp $
 .\"
 .Dd October 9, 1995
 .Dt INSTALL 1
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ Specify the target's file flags.
 .Xr chflags 1
 for a list of possible flags and their meanings.)
 .It Fl g
-Specify a group.
+Specify a group. A numeric GID is allowed.
 .It Fl m
 Specify an alternate mode.
 The default mode is set to rwxr-xr-x (0755).
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ The specified mode may be either an octal or symbolic value; see
 .Xr chmod  1
 for a description of possible mode values.
 .It Fl o
-Specify an owner.
+Specify an owner. A numeric UID is allowed.
 .It Fl p
 Preserve the modification time.
 Copy the file, as if the
diff --git a/usr.bin/xinstall/xinstall.c b/usr.bin/xinstall/xinstall.c
index 24ed628fec70..d14ae1186717 100644
--- a/usr.bin/xinstall/xinstall.c
+++ b/usr.bin/xinstall/xinstall.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ static const char copyright[] =
 #ifndef lint
 /*static char sccsid[] = "From: @(#)xinstall.c	8.1 (Berkeley) 7/21/93";*/
 static const char rcsid[] =
-	"$Id: xinstall.c,v 1.4 1995/10/09 07:21:00 bde Exp $";
+	"$Id: xinstall.c,v 1.5 1996/02/08 06:17:50 pst Exp $";
 #endif /* not lint */
 
 /*-
@@ -79,8 +79,6 @@ static const char rcsid[] =
 
 #include "pathnames.h"
 
-struct passwd *pp;
-struct group *gp;
 int debug, docompare, docopy, dopreserve, dostrip;
 int mode = S_IRWXU|S_IRGRP|S_IXGRP|S_IROTH|S_IXOTH;
 char *group, *owner, pathbuf[MAXPATHLEN];
@@ -98,6 +96,23 @@ u_long	string_to_flags __P((char **, u_long *, u_long *));
 void	strip __P((char *));
 void	usage __P((void));
 
+#define ALLOW_NUMERIC_IDS 1
+#ifdef ALLOW_NUMERIC_IDS
+
+uid_t	uid;
+gid_t	gid;
+
+uid_t	resolve_uid __P((char *));
+gid_t	resolve_gid __P((char *));
+u_long	numeric_id __P((char *, char *));
+
+#else
+
+struct passwd *pp;
+struct group *gp;
+
+#endif /* ALLOW_NUMERIC_IDS */
+
 int
 main(argc, argv)
 	int argc;
@@ -155,12 +170,21 @@ main(argc, argv)
 	if (argc < 2)
 		usage();
 
+#ifdef ALLOW_NUMERIC_IDS
+
+	uid = resolve_uid(owner);
+	gid = resolve_gid(group);
+
+#else
+
 	/* get group and owner id's */
 	if (owner && !(pp = getpwnam(owner)))
 		errx(EX_NOUSER, "unknown user %s", owner);
 	if (group && !(gp = getgrnam(group)))
 		errx(EX_NOUSER, "unknown group %s", group);
 
+#endif /* ALLOW_NUMERIC_IDS */
+
 	no_target = stat(to_name = argv[argc - 1], &to_sb);
 	if (!no_target && (to_sb.st_mode & S_IFMT) == S_IFDIR) {
 		for (; *argv != to_name; ++argv)
@@ -204,6 +228,50 @@ main(argc, argv)
 	exit(0);
 }
 
+#ifdef ALLOW_NUMERIC_IDS
+
+uid_t
+resolve_uid(s)
+	char *s;
+{
+	struct passwd *pw;
+
+	return ((pw = getpwnam(s)) == NULL) ?
+		(uid_t) numeric_id(s, "user") : pw->pw_uid;
+}
+
+gid_t
+resolve_gid(s)
+	char *s;
+{
+	struct group *gr;
+
+	return ((gr = getgrnam(s)) == NULL) ?
+		(gid_t) numeric_id(s, "group") : gr->gr_gid;
+}
+
+u_long
+numeric_id(name, type)
+	char *name, *type;
+{
+	u_long val;
+	char *ep;
+
+	/*
+	 * XXX
+	 * We know that uid_t's and gid_t's are unsigned longs.
+	 */
+	errno = 0;
+	val = strtoul(name, &ep, 10);
+	if (errno)
+		err(EX_NOUSER, "%s", name);
+	if (*ep != '\0')
+		errx(EX_NOUSER, "unknown %s %s", type, name);
+	return (val);
+}
+
+#endif /* ALLOW_NUMERIC_IDS */
+
 /*
  * install --
  *	build a path name and install the file
@@ -360,7 +428,11 @@ install(from_name, to_name, fset, flags)
 	 * chown may lose the setuid bits.
 	 */
 	if ((group || owner) &&
+#ifdef ALLOW_NUMERIC_IDS
+	    fchown(to_fd, owner ? uid : -1, group ? gid : -1)) {
+#else
 	    fchown(to_fd, owner ? pp->pw_uid : -1, group ? gp->gr_gid : -1)) {
+#endif
 		serrno = errno;
 		(void)unlink(to_name);
 		errno = serrno;