diff --git a/bin/make_env.sh b/bin/make_env.sh
index 32dcd5f3..11fc614c 100755
--- a/bin/make_env.sh
+++ b/bin/make_env.sh
@@ -22,4 +22,6 @@ WIKIMEDIA_OAUTH2_SECRET=d6fa3dc12e064166a9b36ddf8ae37ceb61161e69
 ES_HOSTS=search:9200
 DJANGO_SUPERUSER_PASSWORD=$(mkpass)
 FIREFOX_DEVTOOL_HACK=false
+LOCAL_UID=$(id -u)
+LOCAL_GID=$(id -g)
 _EOF
diff --git a/docker-compose.yaml b/docker-compose.yaml
index 20440311..b487a1c3 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ services:
       context: .
       dockerfile: .pipeline/local-python.Dockerfile
     image: "toolhub:dev-python"
-    user: somebody
+    # T295318: run container as local user to allow Linux mount writes
+    user: "${LOCAL_UID}:${LOCAL_GID}"
     working_dir: /srv/app
     command: >
       /srv/dockerize/bin/dockerize -wait tcp://db:3306
@@ -69,12 +70,17 @@ services:
       context: .
       dockerfile: .pipeline/dev-nodejs.Dockerfile
     image: "toolhub:dev-nodejs"
-    user: somebody
+    # T295318: run container as local user to allow Linux mount writes
+    user: "${LOCAL_UID}:${LOCAL_GID}"
     working_dir: /srv/app
     command:
+      # T295318: make a $HOME as $LOCAL_UID user so that npm has a place
+      # to cache files with the ownership it expects.
       - bash
       - -c
       - >-
+        mkdir -p /tmp/runtime-home &&
+        export HOME=/tmp/runtime-home &&
         npm install &&
         npm run serve:vue
     volumes: