diff --git a/faked.c b/faked.c
index ea51a23..74277c7 100644
--- a/faked.c
+++ b/faked.c
@@ -948,13 +948,8 @@ void process_setxattr(struct fake_msg *buf)
       fprintf(stderr,"FAKEROOT:    (previously unknown)\n");
     }
     st=buf->st;
-    /* We pretend that unknown files are owned
-       by root.root, so we have to maintain that pretense when the
-       caller asks to leave an id unchanged. */
-    if ((uint32_t)st.uid == (uint32_t)-1)
-       st.uid = 0;
-    if ((uint32_t)st.gid == (uint32_t)-1)
-       st.gid = 0;
+    st.uid = 0;
+    st.gid = 0;
     insert_or_overwrite(&st, buf->remote);
     i = data_find(&buf->st, buf->remote);
   }