diff --git a/Annex/Init.hs b/Annex/Init.hs
index 5759adffc9..e59f045729 100644
--- a/Annex/Init.hs
+++ b/Annex/Init.hs
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import Upgrade
 import Utility.UserInfo
 import Utility.FileMode
 import Annex.Perms
+import System.Posix.User
 #endif
 
 genDescription :: Maybe String -> Annex String
@@ -141,8 +142,10 @@ probeCrippledFileSystem = do
 		-- Should be unable to write to the file, unless
 		-- running as root, but some crippled
 		-- filesystems ignore write bit removals.
-		unlessM 
-		not <$> catchBoolIO (writeFile f "2" >> return True)
+		ifM ((== 0) <$> getRealUserID)
+			( return True
+			, not <$> catchBoolIO (writeFile f "2" >> return True)
+			)
 #endif
 
 checkCrippledFileSystem :: Annex ()
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index b81a533283..20c28e94f9 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ git-annex (5.20150813) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
   * Avoid building the assistant on the hurd, since an inotify equivilant
     is not yet implemented in git-annex for the hurd.
   * importfeed --relaxed: Avoid hitting the urls of items in the feed.
+  * Fix reversion in init when ran as root, introduced in version 5.20150731.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Wed, 12 Aug 2015 14:31:01 -0400
 
diff --git a/doc/bugs/decides_that_FS_is_crippled_under_cowbuilder___40__symlinks_supported_etc__41__.mdwn b/doc/bugs/decides_that_FS_is_crippled_under_cowbuilder___40__symlinks_supported_etc__41__.mdwn
index 68f9865040..cad21f5c90 100644
--- a/doc/bugs/decides_that_FS_is_crippled_under_cowbuilder___40__symlinks_supported_etc__41__.mdwn
+++ b/doc/bugs/decides_that_FS_is_crippled_under_cowbuilder___40__symlinks_supported_etc__41__.mdwn
@@ -41,3 +41,5 @@ Debian sid   5.20150812-2
 
 # End of transcript or log.
 """]]
+
+> [[fixed|done]] --[[Joey]]
diff --git a/doc/bugs/decides_that_FS_is_crippled_under_cowbuilder___40__symlinks_supported_etc__41__/comment_1_82480202831a08388f9f716abfaa0340._comment b/doc/bugs/decides_that_FS_is_crippled_under_cowbuilder___40__symlinks_supported_etc__41__/comment_1_82480202831a08388f9f716abfaa0340._comment
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2374185064
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/bugs/decides_that_FS_is_crippled_under_cowbuilder___40__symlinks_supported_etc__41__/comment_1_82480202831a08388f9f716abfaa0340._comment
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[[!comment format=mdwn
+ username="joey"
+ subject="""comment 1"""
+ date="2015-08-19T16:22:31Z"
+ content="""
+Actually, it does detect a crippled FS when run as root here. I guess you
+had some version confusion going on, since this problem was introduced in a
+recent release. Fixing..
+"""]]