diff --git a/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_run b/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_run
index f687c2ea8..61db07c02 100644
--- a/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_run
+++ b/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_run
@@ -21,3 +21,6 @@ RUN rm /etc/baz
 # Test with ARG
 ARG file
 RUN echo "run" > $file
+
+RUN echo "test home" > $HOME/file
+COPY context/foo $HOME/foo
diff --git a/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_user_run b/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_user_run
index b9a3c2be4..d7f0ae3b8 100644
--- a/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_user_run
+++ b/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_user_run
@@ -18,4 +18,10 @@ RUN groupadd testgroup
 USER testuser:testgroup
 RUN echo "hey" > /tmp/foo
 USER testuser:1001
-RUN echo "hey2" >> /tmp/foo
\ No newline at end of file
+RUN echo "hey2" >> /tmp/foo
+
+RUN useradd -ms /bin/bash newuser
+USER newuser
+RUN echo "hi" > $HOME/file
+COPY context/foo $HOME/foo
+
diff --git a/pkg/commands/run.go b/pkg/commands/run.go
index 191e3d638..b0de6cbc9 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/run.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/run.go
@@ -17,12 +17,14 @@ limitations under the License.
 package commands
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 
+	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/pkg/constants"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/pkg/dockerfile"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1"
@@ -59,7 +61,7 @@ func (r *RunCommand) ExecuteCommand(config *v1.Config, buildArgs *dockerfile.Bui
 	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
 	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
 	replacementEnvs := buildArgs.ReplacementEnvs(config.Env)
-	cmd.Env = replacementEnvs
+	cmd.Env = addDefaultHOME(config.User, replacementEnvs)
 	cmd.SysProcAttr = &syscall.SysProcAttr{Setpgid: true}
 
 	// If specified, run the command as a specific user
@@ -113,6 +115,22 @@ func (r *RunCommand) ExecuteCommand(config *v1.Config, buildArgs *dockerfile.Bui
 	return nil
 }
 
+// addDefaultHOME adds the default value for HOME if it isn't already set
+func addDefaultHOME(user string, envs []string) []string {
+	for _, env := range envs {
+		split := strings.SplitN(env, "=", 2)
+		if split[0] == constants.HOME {
+			return envs
+		}
+	}
+	// If user isn't set, set default value of HOME
+	if user == "" {
+		return append(envs, fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", constants.HOME, constants.DefaultHOMEValue))
+	}
+	// If user is set, set value of HOME to /home/${user}
+	return append(envs, fmt.Sprintf("%s=/home/%s", constants.HOME, user))
+}
+
 // FilesToSnapshot returns nil for this command because we don't know which files
 // have changed, so we snapshot the entire system.
 func (r *RunCommand) FilesToSnapshot() []string {
diff --git a/pkg/commands/run_test.go b/pkg/commands/run_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5a3971c68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/commands/run_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2018 Google LLC
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+package commands
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/testutil"
+)
+
+func Test_addDefaultHOME(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		user     string
+		initial  []string
+		expected []string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "HOME already set",
+			user: "",
+			initial: []string{
+				"HOME=/something",
+				"PATH=/something/else",
+			},
+			expected: []string{
+				"HOME=/something",
+				"PATH=/something/else",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "HOME isn't set, user isn't set",
+			user: "",
+			initial: []string{
+				"PATH=/something/else",
+			},
+			expected: []string{
+				"PATH=/something/else",
+				"HOME=/root",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "HOME isn't set, user is set",
+			user: "newuser",
+			initial: []string{
+				"PATH=/something/else",
+			},
+			expected: []string{
+				"PATH=/something/else",
+				"HOME=/home/newuser",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			actual := addDefaultHOME(test.user, test.initial)
+			testutil.CheckErrorAndDeepEqual(t, false, nil, test.expected, actual)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/constants/constants.go b/pkg/constants/constants.go
index 6660ee65c..bcc658fca 100644
--- a/pkg/constants/constants.go
+++ b/pkg/constants/constants.go
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ const (
 	GCSBuildContextPrefix      = "gs://"
 	S3BuildContextPrefix       = "s3://"
 	LocalDirBuildContextPrefix = "dir://"
+
+	// DefaultHOMEValue is the default value Docker sets for $HOME
+	HOME             = "HOME"
+	DefaultHOMEValue = "/root"
 )
 
 // KanikoBuildFiles is the list of files required to build kaniko
diff --git a/pkg/executor/executor.go b/pkg/executor/executor.go
index 7b82890ff..0ab0d98bb 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/executor.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/executor.go
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/authn/k8schain"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/name"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1"
-	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1/empty"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1/mutate"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1/remote"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1/tarball"
@@ -83,10 +82,7 @@ func DoBuild(k KanikoBuildArgs) (v1.Image, error) {
 		if err := snapshotter.Init(); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		imageConfig, err := sourceImage.ConfigFile()
-		if sourceImage == empty.Image {
-			imageConfig.Config.Env = constants.ScratchEnvVars
-		}
+		imageConfig, err := util.RetrieveConfigFile(sourceImage)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/util/image_util.go b/pkg/util/image_util.go
index 754f42443..0dd066d55 100644
--- a/pkg/util/image_util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/image_util.go
@@ -65,6 +65,18 @@ func RetrieveSourceImage(index int, buildArgs []string, stages []instructions.St
 	return retrieveRemoteImage(currentBaseName)
 }
 
+// RetrieveConfigFile returns the config file for an image
+func RetrieveConfigFile(sourceImage v1.Image) (*v1.ConfigFile, error) {
+	imageConfig, err := sourceImage.ConfigFile()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if sourceImage == empty.Image {
+		imageConfig.Config.Env = constants.ScratchEnvVars
+	}
+	return imageConfig, nil
+}
+
 func tarballImage(index int) (v1.Image, error) {
 	tarPath := filepath.Join(constants.KanikoIntermediateStagesDir, strconv.Itoa(index))
 	logrus.Infof("Base image from previous stage %d found, using saved tar at path %s", index, tarPath)
diff --git a/pkg/util/image_util_test.go b/pkg/util/image_util_test.go
index 41cb387eb..419576d92 100644
--- a/pkg/util/image_util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/util/image_util_test.go
@@ -18,12 +18,13 @@ package util
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"testing"
+
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kaniko/testutil"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1/empty"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/frontend/dockerfile/instructions"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/frontend/dockerfile/parser"
-	"testing"
 )
 
 var (