diff --git a/files/files.go b/files/files.go
index 955939a3..7c0d3ac1 100644
--- a/files/files.go
+++ b/files/files.go
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ func addTree(
 		c := &Content{
 			FileInfo: &ContentFileInfo{},
 		}
-		if tree.FileInfo != nil {
+		if tree.FileInfo != nil && !ownedByFilesystem(tree.Destination) {
 			c.FileInfo.Owner = tree.FileInfo.Owner
 			c.FileInfo.Group = tree.FileInfo.Group
 		}
diff --git a/files/files_test.go b/files/files_test.go
index 64422962..3f025059 100644
--- a/files/files_test.go
+++ b/files/files_test.go
@@ -756,7 +756,7 @@ func TestTreeOwner(t *testing.T) {
 		files.Contents{
 			{
 				Source:      filepath.Join("testdata", "tree"),
-				Destination: "/base",
+				Destination: "/usr/share/foo",
 				Type:        files.TypeTree,
 				FileInfo: &files.ContentFileInfo{
 					Owner: "goreleaser",
@@ -773,6 +773,11 @@ func TestTreeOwner(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	for _, f := range results {
+		if f.Destination == "/usr/" || f.Destination == "/usr/share/" {
+			require.Equal(t, "root", f.FileInfo.Owner, f.Destination)
+			require.Equal(t, "root", f.FileInfo.Group, f.Destination)
+			continue
+		}
 		require.Equal(t, "goreleaser", f.FileInfo.Owner, f.Destination)
 		require.Equal(t, "goreleaser", f.FileInfo.Group, f.Destination)
 	}
@@ -780,42 +785,52 @@ func TestTreeOwner(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, files.Contents{
 		{
 			Source:      "",
-			Destination: "/base/",
+			Destination: "/usr/",
+			Type:        files.TypeImplicitDir,
+		},
+		{
+			Source:      "",
+			Destination: "/usr/share/",
+			Type:        files.TypeImplicitDir,
+		},
+		{
+			Source:      "",
+			Destination: "/usr/share/foo/",
 			Type:        files.TypeDir,
 		},
 		{
 			Source:      "",
-			Destination: "/base/files/",
+			Destination: "/usr/share/foo/files/",
 			Type:        files.TypeDir,
 		},
 		{
 			Source:      filepath.Join("testdata", "tree", "files", "a"),
-			Destination: "/base/files/a",
+			Destination: "/usr/share/foo/files/a",
 			Type:        files.TypeFile,
 		},
 		{
 			Source:      "",
-			Destination: "/base/files/b/",
+			Destination: "/usr/share/foo/files/b/",
 			Type:        files.TypeDir,
 		},
 		{
 			Source:      filepath.Join("testdata", "tree", "files", "b", "c"),
-			Destination: "/base/files/b/c",
+			Destination: "/usr/share/foo/files/b/c",
 			Type:        files.TypeFile,
 		},
 		{
 			Source:      "",
-			Destination: "/base/symlinks/",
+			Destination: "/usr/share/foo/symlinks/",
 			Type:        files.TypeDir,
 		},
 		{
 			Source:      "/etc/foo",
-			Destination: "/base/symlinks/link1",
+			Destination: "/usr/share/foo/symlinks/link1",
 			Type:        files.TypeSymlink,
 		},
 		{
 			Source:      "../files/a",
-			Destination: "/base/symlinks/link2",
+			Destination: "/usr/share/foo/symlinks/link2",
 			Type:        files.TypeSymlink,
 		},
 	}, withoutFileInfo(results))
diff --git a/files/fs.go b/files/fs.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1e966474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/files/fs.go
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+package files
+
+import "path/filepath"
+
+func ownedByFilesystem(path string) bool {
+	p := filepath.Clean(path)
+	for _, pp := range fsPaths {
+		if p == pp {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// from: repoquery --installed -l filesystem | while read -r f; do test -d $f && echo $f; done
+var fsPaths = []string{
+	"/afs",
+	"/bin",
+	"/boot",
+	"/dev",
+	"/etc",
+	"/etc/X11",
+	"/etc/X11/applnk",
+	"/etc/X11/fontpath.d",
+	"/etc/X11/xinit",
+	"/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d",
+	"/etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d",
+	"/etc/bash_completion.d",
+	"/etc/keys",
+	"/etc/keys/ima",
+	"/etc/opt",
+	"/etc/pki",
+	"/etc/pm",
+	"/etc/pm/config.d",
+	"/etc/pm/power.d",
+	"/etc/pm/sleep.d",
+	"/etc/rwtab.d",
+	"/etc/skel",
+	"/etc/statetab.d",
+	"/etc/sysconfig",
+	"/etc/xdg",
+	"/etc/xdg/autostart",
+	"/home",
+	"/lib",
+	"/lib64",
+	"/media",
+	"/mnt",
+	"/opt",
+	"/proc",
+	"/root",
+	"/run",
+	"/sbin",
+	"/srv",
+	"/sys",
+	"/tmp",
+	"/usr",
+	"/usr/bin",
+	"/usr/games",
+	"/usr/include",
+	"/usr/lib",
+	"/usr/lib/debug",
+	"/usr/lib/debug/.dwz",
+	"/usr/lib/debug/bin",
+	"/usr/lib/debug/lib",
+	"/usr/lib/debug/lib64",
+	"/usr/lib/debug/sbin",
+	"/usr/lib/debug/usr",
+	"/usr/lib/debug/usr/.dwz",
+	"/usr/lib/debug/usr/bin",
+	"/usr/lib/debug/usr/lib",
+	"/usr/lib/debug/usr/lib64",
+	"/usr/lib/debug/usr/sbin",
+	"/usr/lib/games",
+	"/usr/lib/locale",
+	"/usr/lib/modules",
+	"/usr/lib/sysimage",
+	"/usr/lib/systemd",
+	"/usr/lib/systemd/system",
+	"/usr/lib/systemd/user",
+	"/usr/lib/sysusers.d",
+	"/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d",
+	"/usr/lib64",
+	"/usr/lib64/X11",
+	"/usr/lib64/bpf",
+	"/usr/lib64/games",
+	"/usr/lib64/pm-utils",
+	"/usr/lib64/pm-utils/module.d",
+	"/usr/lib64/pm-utils/power.d",
+	"/usr/lib64/pm-utils/sleep.d",
+	"/usr/libexec",
+	"/usr/local",
+	"/usr/local/bin",
+	"/usr/local/etc",
+	"/usr/local/games",
+	"/usr/local/include",
+	"/usr/local/lib",
+	"/usr/local/lib64",
+	"/usr/local/lib64/bpf",
+	"/usr/local/libexec",
+	"/usr/local/sbin",
+	"/usr/local/share",
+	"/usr/local/share/applications",
+	"/usr/local/share/info",
+	"/usr/local/share/man",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man1",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man1x",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man2",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man2x",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man3",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man3x",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man4",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man4x",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man5",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man5x",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man6",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man6x",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man7",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man7x",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man8",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man8x",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man9",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/man9x",
+	"/usr/local/share/man/mann",
+	"/usr/local/src",
+	"/usr/sbin",
+	"/usr/share",
+	"/usr/share/X11",
+	"/usr/share/X11/fonts",
+	"/usr/share/aclocal",
+	"/usr/share/appdata",
+	"/usr/share/applications",
+	"/usr/share/augeas",
+	"/usr/share/augeas/lenses",
+	"/usr/share/backgrounds",
+	"/usr/share/bash-completion",
+	"/usr/share/bash-completion/completions",
+	"/usr/share/bash-completion/helpers",
+	"/usr/share/desktop-directories",
+	"/usr/share/dict",
+	"/usr/share/doc",
+	"/usr/share/empty",
+	"/usr/share/fish",
+	"/usr/share/fish/vendor_completions.d",
+	"/usr/share/games",
+	"/usr/share/gnome",
+	"/usr/share/help",
+	"/usr/share/icons",
+	"/usr/share/idl",
+	"/usr/share/info",
+	"/usr/share/licenses",
+	"/usr/share/locale",
+	"/usr/share/locale/en_US",
+	"/usr/share/locale/en_US/LC_MESSAGES",
+	"/usr/share/man",
+	"/usr/share/man/man0p",
+	"/usr/share/man/man1",
+	"/usr/share/man/man1p",
+	"/usr/share/man/man1x",
+	"/usr/share/man/man2",
+	"/usr/share/man/man2x",
+	"/usr/share/man/man3",
+	"/usr/share/man/man3p",
+	"/usr/share/man/man3x",
+	"/usr/share/man/man4",
+	"/usr/share/man/man4x",
+	"/usr/share/man/man5",
+	"/usr/share/man/man5x",
+	"/usr/share/man/man6",
+	"/usr/share/man/man6x",
+	"/usr/share/man/man7",
+	"/usr/share/man/man7x",
+	"/usr/share/man/man8",
+	"/usr/share/man/man8x",
+	"/usr/share/man/man9",
+	"/usr/share/man/man9x",
+	"/usr/share/man/mann",
+	"/usr/share/metainfo",
+	"/usr/share/mime-info",
+	"/usr/share/misc",
+	"/usr/share/omf",
+	"/usr/share/pixmaps",
+	"/usr/share/sounds",
+	"/usr/share/themes",
+	"/usr/share/wayland-sessions",
+	"/usr/share/xsessions",
+	"/usr/share/zsh",
+	"/usr/share/zsh/site-functions",
+	"/usr/src",
+	"/usr/src/debug",
+	"/usr/src/kernels",
+	"/usr/tmp",
+	"/var",
+	"/var/adm",
+	"/var/cache",
+	"/var/db",
+	"/var/empty",
+	"/var/ftp",
+	"/var/games",
+	"/var/lib",
+	"/var/lib/games",
+	"/var/lib/misc",
+	"/var/lib/rpm-state",
+	"/var/local",
+	"/var/log",
+	"/var/mail",
+	"/var/nis",
+	"/var/opt",
+	"/var/preserve",
+	"/var/run",
+	"/var/spool",
+	"/var/spool/lpd",
+	"/var/spool/mail",
+	"/var/tmp",
+	"/var/yp",
+}