diff --git a/share/templates/conf/django/files/gunicorn.jinja2 b/share/templates/conf/django/files/gunicorn.jinja2
index a4e5b34..66b7c53 100644
--- a/share/templates/conf/django/files/gunicorn.jinja2
+++ b/share/templates/conf/django/files/gunicorn.jinja2
@@ -6,8 +6,12 @@ raw_env = ["DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE={{settings_module}}"]
 
 worker_tmp_dir = "/tmp"
 
-user = '{{user}}'
-group = '{{group}}'
+#
+# uncomment only if supervisor does not set these!
+# see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/53570850/djangogunicorn-operation-not-permitted
+
+# user = '{{user}}'
+# group = '{{group}}'
 
 access_logfile = \
     '{{logging_access}}'
diff --git a/share/templates/conf/django/files/gunicorn.unixsocket.jinja2 b/share/templates/conf/django/files/gunicorn.unixsocket.jinja2
index de3209d..5fe0f46 100644
--- a/share/templates/conf/django/files/gunicorn.unixsocket.jinja2
+++ b/share/templates/conf/django/files/gunicorn.unixsocket.jinja2
@@ -6,8 +6,12 @@ raw_env = ["DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE={{settings_module}}"]
 
 worker_tmp_dir = "/tmp"
 
-user = '{{user}}'
-group = '{{group}}'
+#
+# uncomment only if supervisor does not already set these!
+# see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/53570850/djangogunicorn-operation-not-permitted
+
+# user = '{{user}}'
+# group = '{{group}}'
 
 access_logfile = \
     '{{logging_access}}'
diff --git a/share/templates/conf/gunicorn/files/gunicorn.jinja2 b/share/templates/conf/gunicorn/files/gunicorn.jinja2
index a4e5b34..66b7c53 100644
--- a/share/templates/conf/gunicorn/files/gunicorn.jinja2
+++ b/share/templates/conf/gunicorn/files/gunicorn.jinja2
@@ -6,8 +6,12 @@ raw_env = ["DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE={{settings_module}}"]
 
 worker_tmp_dir = "/tmp"
 
-user = '{{user}}'
-group = '{{group}}'
+#
+# uncomment only if supervisor does not set these!
+# see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/53570850/djangogunicorn-operation-not-permitted
+
+# user = '{{user}}'
+# group = '{{group}}'
 
 access_logfile = \
     '{{logging_access}}'
diff --git a/share/templates/conf/gunicorn/files/gunicorn.unixsocket.jinja2 b/share/templates/conf/gunicorn/files/gunicorn.unixsocket.jinja2
index de3209d..5fe0f46 100644
--- a/share/templates/conf/gunicorn/files/gunicorn.unixsocket.jinja2
+++ b/share/templates/conf/gunicorn/files/gunicorn.unixsocket.jinja2
@@ -6,8 +6,12 @@ raw_env = ["DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE={{settings_module}}"]
 
 worker_tmp_dir = "/tmp"
 
-user = '{{user}}'
-group = '{{group}}'
+#
+# uncomment only if supervisor does not already set these!
+# see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/53570850/djangogunicorn-operation-not-permitted
+
+# user = '{{user}}'
+# group = '{{group}}'
 
 access_logfile = \
     '{{logging_access}}'
diff --git a/share/templates/readmes/gunicorn_error.md b/share/templates/readmes/gunicorn_error.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70bd197
--- /dev/null
+++ b/share/templates/readmes/gunicorn_error.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+
+## important gunicorn error
+
+https://stackoverflow.com/questions/53570850/djangogunicorn-operation-not-permitted;
+
+the problem is that if supervisor sets both user and group, and then gunicvorn does it, you can
+get a blow up.
+
+so comment it out in one conf or the other