diff --git a/src/conf/storage_conf.c b/src/conf/storage_conf.c
index a648c6d..082296a 100644
--- a/src/conf/storage_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/storage_conf.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "viralloc.h"
 #include "virfile.h"
 #include "virstring.h"
+#include "virlog.h"
 
 #define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_STORAGE
 
@@ -785,7 +786,8 @@ virStorageDefParsePerms(xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt,
         perms->uid = (uid_t) -1;
     } else {
         if (virXPathLong("number(./owner)", ctxt, &val) < 0 ||
-            (uid_t)val != val) {
+            ((uid_t)val != val &&
+             val != -1)) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR, "%s",
                            _("malformed owner element"));
             goto error;
@@ -798,7 +800,8 @@ virStorageDefParsePerms(xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt,
         perms->gid = (gid_t) -1;
     } else {
         if (virXPathLong("number(./group)", ctxt, &val) < 0 ||
-            (gid_t)val != val) {
+            ((gid_t) val != val &&
+             val != -1)) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR, "%s",
                            _("malformed group element"));
             goto error;