diff --git a/resen/Resen.py b/resen/Resen.py
index e183ae1..90851df 100644
--- a/resen/Resen.py
+++ b/resen/Resen.py
@@ -638,13 +638,15 @@ def create_container(self,**input_kwargs):
         image_name = input_kwargs.get('image_name',None)
         image_id = input_kwargs.get('image_id',None)
         pull_image = input_kwargs.get('pull_image',None)
-
+        nb_uid = input_kwargs.get('nb_uid',os.getuid())
+        nb_gid = input_kwargs.get('nb_gid',os.getgid())
 
         # TODO: jupyterlab or jupyter notebook, pass ports, mount volumes, generate token for lab/notebook server
         create_kwargs = dict()
         create_kwargs['name'] = self.container_prefix + bucket_name
-        create_kwargs['command'] = 'bash'
+        create_kwargs['command'] = '/usr/local/bin/start.sh bash'
         create_kwargs['tty'] = True
+        create_kwargs['environment'] = ['NB_UID=%s' % nb_uid, 'NB_GID=%s' % nb_gid]
         create_kwargs['ports'] = dict()
 
         for host, container, tcp in ports:
@@ -677,7 +679,11 @@ def create_container(self,**input_kwargs):
             print("Done!")
 
         container_id = self.docker.containers.create(image_id,**create_kwargs)
-
+        status = self.start_container(container_id.id)
+        # setup the user and group permissions
+        result = container_id.exec_run(create_kwargs['command'],
+                                       environment=create_kwargs['environment'],
+                                       user='root',detach=True)
         return container_id.id
 
     def stream_pull_image(self,pull_image):
diff --git a/resen/resencmd.py b/resen/resencmd.py
index 2f9b42f..695a25e 100644
--- a/resen/resencmd.py
+++ b/resen/resencmd.py
@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@ def do_create_bucket(self,args):
             print("Syntax Error. Usage: create_bucket bucket_name")
             return
 
+        # check if creating bucket with name bucket_name is possible:
+        print("Creating bucket with name: %s" % bucket_name)
+        status = self.program.create_bucket(bucket_name)
+        if not status:
+            print("Failed to create bucket!")
+            return
+
         # First, ask user about the bucket they want to create
         # resen-core version?
         valid_versions = sorted([x['version'] for x in self.program.bucket_manager.valid_cores])
@@ -93,13 +100,6 @@ def do_create_bucket(self,args):
         msg = '>>> Start bucket and jupyterlab? (y/n): '
         start = self.get_valid_input(msg,valid_inputs) == 'y'
 
-        # Now that we have the bucket creation recipe, let's actually create it.
-        print("Creating bucket with name: %s" % bucket_name)
-        status = self.program.create_bucket(bucket_name)
-        if not status:
-            print("Failed to create bucket!")
-            return
-
         success = True
         print("...adding core...")
         status = self.program.add_image(bucket_name,docker_image)
@@ -118,10 +118,7 @@ def do_create_bucket(self,args):
         if success:
             print("Bucket created successfully!")
             if start:
-                # start bucket
-                status = self.program.start_bucket(bucket_name)
-                if not status:
-                    return
+                # bucket should already be running
                 # start jupyterlab
                 print("...starting jupyterlab...")
                 status = self.program.start_jupyter(bucket_name,local_port,container_port,lab=True)