diff --git a/init.sh b/init.sh
index 73b46c8..430f525 100755
--- a/init.sh
+++ b/init.sh
@@ -838,6 +838,18 @@ initUsers()
 		isNotice "Removed a stale cron spool for $sudo_user_name (recycled uid)."
 	fi
 	sudo rm -f "$spool_dir/easydocker"
+
+	# /home/$sudo_user_name may be owned by a stale uid from a previous install
+	# (e.g. the EasyDocker rename): useradd doesn't reclaim an existing home dir,
+	# so files inside — incl. restic's cache dir under ~/.cache/restic — end up
+	# unreadable by the new manager. restic then logs `mkdir: permission denied`
+	# every backup (non-fatal but slows them). Same recycled-uid pattern as the
+	# cron spool above. Idempotent: no-op when ownership already matches.
+	if [[ -d "/home/$sudo_user_name" \
+	   && "$(stat -c %u "/home/$sudo_user_name" 2>/dev/null)" != "$mgr_uid" ]]; then
+		sudo chown -R "$sudo_user_name":"$sudo_user_name" "/home/$sudo_user_name"
+		isNotice "Reclaimed /home/$sudo_user_name from a stale uid (recycled or rename)."
+	fi
 	# Install-phase sudo: the heavy install runs AS this user (see the handoff in
 	# completeInitMessage) and needs BROAD root — useradd for the docker-install
 	# user, rootless setup, apt, sysctl, etc. So grant a temporary validated