diff --git a/src/openvpnserv/common.c b/src/openvpnserv/common.c
index 74bec6e..658e5cd 100644
--- a/src/openvpnserv/common.c
+++ b/src/openvpnserv/common.c
@@ -130,6 +130,14 @@
     {
         goto out;
     }
+
+    error = GetRegString(key, TEXT("ovpn_service_user"), s->ovpn_service_user,
+                         sizeof(s->ovpn_service_user), OVPN_SERVICE_USER);
+    if (error != ERROR_SUCCESS)
+    {
+        goto out;
+    }
+
     /* set process priority */
     if (!_wcsicmp(priority, TEXT("IDLE_PRIORITY_CLASS")))
     {
diff --git a/src/openvpnserv/interactive.c b/src/openvpnserv/interactive.c
index d5a749a..2364c38 100644
--- a/src/openvpnserv/interactive.c
+++ b/src/openvpnserv/interactive.c
@@ -2497,7 +2497,7 @@
      * OR user is authorized to run any config.
      */
     if (!ValidateOptions(pipe, sud.directory, sud.options, errmsg, _countof(errmsg))
-        && !IsAuthorizedUser(ovpn_user->User.Sid, imp_token, settings.ovpn_admin_group))
+        && !IsAuthorizedUser(ovpn_user->User.Sid, imp_token, settings.ovpn_admin_group, settings.ovpn_service_user))
     {
         ReturnError(pipe, ERROR_STARTUP_DATA, errmsg, 1, &exit_event);
         goto out;
diff --git a/src/openvpnserv/service.h b/src/openvpnserv/service.h
index c5f587b..c8c1005 100644
--- a/src/openvpnserv/service.h
+++ b/src/openvpnserv/service.h
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
     TCHAR ext_string[16];
     TCHAR log_dir[MAX_PATH];
     TCHAR ovpn_admin_group[MAX_NAME];
+    TCHAR ovpn_service_user[MAX_NAME];
     DWORD priority;
     BOOL append;
 } settings_t;
diff --git a/src/openvpnserv/validate.c b/src/openvpnserv/validate.c
index 9563fa5..5b0b368 100644
--- a/src/openvpnserv/validate.c
+++ b/src/openvpnserv/validate.c
@@ -140,12 +140,8 @@
     return b;
 }
 
-/*
- * Check whether user is a member of Administrators group or
- * the group specified in ovpn_admin_group
- */
 BOOL
-IsAuthorizedUser(PSID sid, const HANDLE token, const WCHAR *ovpn_admin_group)
+IsAuthorizedUser(PSID sid, const HANDLE token, const WCHAR *ovpn_admin_group, const WCHAR *ovpn_service_user)
 {
     const WCHAR *admin_group[2];
     WCHAR username[MAX_NAME];
@@ -164,6 +160,12 @@
         domain[0] = '\0';
     }
 
+    /* is this service account? */
+    if ((wcscmp(username, ovpn_service_user) == 0) && (wcscmp(domain, TEXT("NT SERVICE")) == 0))
+    {
+        return TRUE;
+    }
+
     if (GetBuiltinAdminGroupName(sysadmin_group, _countof(sysadmin_group)))
     {
         admin_group[0] = sysadmin_group;
diff --git a/src/openvpnserv/validate.h b/src/openvpnserv/validate.h
index a9f1b9d..a68e564 100644
--- a/src/openvpnserv/validate.h
+++ b/src/openvpnserv/validate.h
@@ -29,11 +29,17 @@
 
 /* Authorized groups who can use any options and config locations */
 #define SYSTEM_ADMIN_GROUP TEXT("Administrators")
-#define OVPN_ADMIN_GROUP TEXT("OpenVPN Administrators")
-/* The last one may be reset in registry: HKLM\Software\OpenVPN\ovpn_admin_group */
 
+#define OVPN_ADMIN_GROUP TEXT("OpenVPN Administrators") /* may be set in HKLM\Software\OpenVPN\ovpn_admin_group */
+#define OVPN_SERVICE_USER TEXT("OpenVPNService") /* may be set in HKLM\Software\OpenVPN\ovpn_service_user */
+
+/*
+ * Check whether user is a member of Administrators group or
+ * the group specified in ovpn_admin_group or
+ * OpenVPN Virtual Service Account user
+ */
 BOOL
-IsAuthorizedUser(PSID sid, const HANDLE token, const WCHAR *ovpn_admin_group);
+IsAuthorizedUser(PSID sid, const HANDLE token, const WCHAR *ovpn_admin_group, const WCHAR *ovpn_service_user);
 
 BOOL
 CheckOption(const WCHAR *workdir, int narg, WCHAR *argv[], const settings_t *s);