diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d093fb88dd..3f0077696b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -749,6 +749,14 @@ PGAC_ARG_BOOL(enable, cassert, no, [enable assertion checks (for debugging)],
                          [Define to 1 to build with assertion checks. (--enable-cassert)])])
 
 
+#
+# Disable file permission checks
+#
+PGAC_ARG_BOOL(enable, check-permissions, yes, [disable file permission checks (for Docker)],
+              [AC_DEFINE([ENABLE_CHECK_PERMISSIONS], 1,
+                         [Define to 1 to build with permission checks. (--disable-check-permissions)])])
+
+
 #
 # Include directories
 #
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c b/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c
index ec6a61594a..bcd56cc7cb 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ checkDataDir(void)
 	 *
 	 * XXX can we safely enable this check on Windows?
 	 */
-#if !defined(WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
+#if defined(ENABLE_CHECK_PERMISSIONS) && !defined(WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
 	if (stat_buf.st_uid != geteuid())
 		ereport(FATAL,
 				(errcode(ERRCODE_OBJECT_NOT_IN_PREREQUISITE_STATE),
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ checkDataDir(void)
 	 * be proper support for Unix-y file permissions.  Need to think of a
 	 * reasonable check to apply on Windows.
 	 */
-#if !defined(WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
+#if defined(ENABLE_CHECK_PERMISSIONS) && !defined(WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
 	if (stat_buf.st_mode & PG_MODE_MASK_GROUP)
 		ereport(FATAL,
 				(errcode(ERRCODE_OBJECT_NOT_IN_PREREQUISITE_STATE),
diff --git a/src/include/pg_config.h.in b/src/include/pg_config.h.in
index cdd742cb55..df44393855 100644
--- a/src/include/pg_config.h.in
+++ b/src/include/pg_config.h.in
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@
 /* Define to the file name extension of dynamically-loadable modules. */
 #undef DLSUFFIX
 
+/* Define to 1 to build with permission checks. (--disable-check-permissions)
+   */
+#undef ENABLE_CHECK_PERMISSIONS
+
 /* Define to build with GSSAPI support. (--with-gssapi) */
 #undef ENABLE_GSS