diff --git a/pmb/aportgen/busybox_static.py b/pmb/aportgen/busybox_static.py
index a2a5ec95..0cef481a 100644
--- a/pmb/aportgen/busybox_static.py
+++ b/pmb/aportgen/busybox_static.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ def generate(args, pkgname):
     path_target = (args.work + "/cache_distfiles/busybox-static-" +
                    version + "-" + arch + ".apk")
     if not os.path.exists(path_target):
-        pmb.helpers.run.user(args, ["cp", path, path_target])
+        pmb.helpers.run.root(args, ["cp", path, path_target])
 
     # Hash the distfile
     hashes = pmb.chroot.user(args, ["sha512sum",
diff --git a/pmb/aportgen/musl.py b/pmb/aportgen/musl.py
index 6b507553..a824f585 100644
--- a/pmb/aportgen/musl.py
+++ b/pmb/aportgen/musl.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def generate(args, pkgname):
         path_target = (args.work + "/cache_distfiles/" + subpkgname + "-" +
                        version + "-" + arch + ".apk")
         if not os.path.exists(path_target):
-            pmb.helpers.run.user(args, ["cp", path, path_target])
+            pmb.helpers.run.root(args, ["cp", path, path_target])
 
     # Hash the distfiles
     hashes = pmb.chroot.user(args, ["sha512sum",