diff --git a/tests/install_group/wscript b/tests/install_group/wscript
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7ca72e3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/install_group/wscript
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env python
+
+from waflib import Utils, Build, Logs
+import os
+
+GRP = 'adm'
+
+def test_chown(bld):
+	def create_and_chown(tsk):
+		tsk.outputs[0].write('test')
+		Utils.lchown(tsk.outputs[0].abspath(), -1, GRP)
+		bld.conf.env.CAN_CHOWN = True
+	bld(rule=create_and_chown, target='foo.txt', always=True)
+
+def test_grp(bld):
+	def check_path(tsk):
+		import grp
+		entry = grp.getgrnam(GRP)
+		assert entry[0] == GRP
+		bld.conf.env.CAN_GRP = True
+	bld(rule=check_path, always=True)
+
+def test_chown_install(bld):
+	bld.is_install = Build.INSTALL
+
+	dest_file = bld.bldnode.make_node('test/foo')
+	dest_link = bld.bldnode.make_node('test/foo_link')
+
+	tmpfile = bld.bldnode.make_node('foo.txt')
+	tmpfile.write('this is a test')
+
+	bld.install_as(dest_file,
+		tmpfile,
+		install_group=GRP)
+	bld.symlink_as(dest_link,
+		'foo',
+		install_group=GRP)
+
+	bld.add_group()
+
+	def check_path(tsk):
+		import grp
+		gid = grp.getgrnam(GRP)[2]
+		assert os.stat(dest_file.abspath()).st_gid == gid
+		assert os.stat(dest_link.abspath()).st_gid == gid
+	bld(rule=check_path, always=True)
+
+def configure(conf):
+	conf.test(build_fun=test_grp,
+		msg='Checking for the python module grp',
+		okmsg='ok',
+		errmsg='grp is missing',
+		mandatory=False)
+	if not conf.env.CAN_GRP:
+		return
+
+	conf.test(build_fun=test_chown,
+		msg='Checking for Utils.lchown',
+		okmsg='ok',
+		errmsg='chown does not seem to work',
+		mandatory=False)
+	if not conf.env.CAN_CHOWN:
+		return
+
+	Logs.info = Utils.nada
+	conf.test(build_fun=test_chown_install,
+		msg='Testing install_group="adm"',
+		okmsg='ok',
+		errmsg='there is a regression')
+
+def build(bld):
+	pass
+
diff --git a/waflib/Build.py b/waflib/Build.py
index 07ccf850..af5c14e4 100644
--- a/waflib/Build.py
+++ b/waflib/Build.py
@@ -956,6 +956,8 @@ def add_install_task(self, **kw):
 	tsk.install_to = tsk.dest = kw['install_to']
 	tsk.install_from = kw['install_from']
 	tsk.relative_base = kw.get('cwd') or kw.get('relative_base', self.path)
+	tsk.install_user = kw.get('install_user')
+	tsk.install_group = kw.get('install_group')
 	tsk.init_files()
 	if not kw.get('postpone', True):
 		tsk.run_now()
@@ -1065,7 +1067,9 @@ class inst(Task.Task):
 
 	def copy_fun(self, src, tgt):
 		"""
-		Copies a file from src to tgt, preserving permissions and trying to work around path limitations on Windows platforms
+		Copies a file from src to tgt, preserving permissions and trying to work
+		around path limitations on Windows platforms. On Unix-like platforms,
+		the owner/group of the target file may be set through install_user/install_group
 
 		:param src: absolute path
 		:type src: string
@@ -1077,7 +1081,7 @@ class inst(Task.Task):
 		if Utils.is_win32 and len(tgt) > 259 and not tgt.startswith('\\\\?\\'):
 			tgt = '\\\\?\\' + tgt
 		shutil.copy2(src, tgt)
-		os.chmod(tgt, self.chmod)
+		self.fix_perms(tgt)
 
 	def rm_empty_dirs(self, tgt):
 		"""
@@ -1180,6 +1184,32 @@ class inst(Task.Task):
 				Logs.error('Input %r is not a file', src)
 			raise Errors.WafError('Could not install the file %r' % tgt, e)
 
+	def fix_perms(self, tgt):
+		"""
+		Change the ownership of the file/folder/link pointed by the given path
+		This looks up for `install_user` or `install_group` attributes
+		on the task or on the task generator::
+
+		def build(bld):
+			bld.install_as('${PREFIX}/wscript',
+				'wscript',
+				install_user='nobody', install_group='nogroup')
+			bld.symlink_as('${PREFIX}/wscript_link',
+				Utils.subst_vars('${PREFIX}/wscript', bld.env),
+				install_user='nobody', install_group='nogroup')
+		"""
+		if not Utils.is_win32:
+			user = getattr(self, 'install_user', None) or getattr(self.generator, 'install_user', None)
+			group = getattr(self, 'install_group', None) or getattr(self.generator, 'install_group', None)
+			if user or group:
+				Utils.lchown(tgt, user or -1, group or -1)
+		if os.path.islink(tgt):
+			# BSD-specific
+			if hasattr(os, 'lchmod'):
+				os.lchmod(tgt, self.chmod)
+		else:
+			os.chmod(tgt, self.chmod)
+
 	def do_link(self, src, tgt, **kw):
 		"""
 		Creates a symlink from tgt to src.
@@ -1200,6 +1230,7 @@ class inst(Task.Task):
 			if not self.generator.bld.progress_bar:
 				Logs.info('+ symlink %s (to %s)', tgt, src)
 			os.symlink(src, tgt)
+			self.fix_perms(tgt)
 
 	def do_uninstall(self, src, tgt, lbl, **kw):
 		"""
diff --git a/waflib/Context.py b/waflib/Context.py
index 4c9e7bb7..3a65e986 100644
--- a/waflib/Context.py
+++ b/waflib/Context.py
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ class Context(ctx):
 						if not user_function:
 							if not mandatory:
 								continue
-							raise Errors.WafError('No function %s defined in %s' % (name or self.fun, node.abspath()))
+							raise Errors.WafError('No function %r defined in %s' % (name or self.fun, node.abspath()))
 						user_function(self)
 					finally:
 						self.post_recurse(node)
diff --git a/waflib/Utils.py b/waflib/Utils.py
index e461ad5b..230267e9 100644
--- a/waflib/Utils.py
+++ b/waflib/Utils.py
@@ -860,6 +860,30 @@ def run_prefork_process(cmd, kwargs, cargs):
 			raise Exception(trace)
 	return ret, out, err
 
+def lchown(path, user=-1, group=-1):
+	"""
+	Change the owner/group of a path, raises an OSError if the
+	ownership change fails.
+
+	:param user: user to change
+	:type user: int or str
+	:param group: group to change
+	:type group: int or str
+	"""
+	if isinstance(user, str):
+		import pwd
+		entry = pwd.getpwnam(user)
+		if not entry:
+			raise OSError('Unknown user %r' % user)
+		user = entry[2]
+	if isinstance(group, str):
+		import grp
+		entry = grp.getgrnam(group)
+		if not entry:
+			raise OSError('Unknown group %r' % group)
+		group = entry[2]
+	return os.lchown(path, user, group)
+
 def run_regular_process(cmd, kwargs, cargs={}):
 	"""
 	Executes a subprocess command by using subprocess.Popen