diff --git a/cmd/sciontool/commands/init.go b/cmd/sciontool/commands/init.go
index 302f67e8..bebcfe6e 100644
--- a/cmd/sciontool/commands/init.go
+++ b/cmd/sciontool/commands/init.go
@@ -1002,14 +1002,8 @@ func gitCloneWorkspace(uid, gid int, agentHome string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Ensure the workspace directory is owned by the target user when running
-	// as root. Non-root containers cannot chown, and Kubernetes pods may
-	// already be running as the correct user/group via securityContext.
-	if uid > 0 && os.Getuid() == 0 {
-		if err := os.Chown(workspacePath, uid, gid); err != nil {
-			log.Error("Failed to chown workspace to UID=%d GID=%d: %v", uid, gid, err)
-		}
-	}
+	currentEUID := os.Geteuid()
+	ensureWorkspaceOwnership(workspacePath, uid, gid, currentEUID, os.Chown)
 
 	token := os.Getenv("GITHUB_TOKEN")
 	branch := os.Getenv("SCION_GIT_BRANCH")
@@ -1223,6 +1217,22 @@ func gitCloneWorkspace(uid, gid int, agentHome string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func ensureWorkspaceOwnership(workspacePath string, uid, gid, currentEUID int, chown func(string, int, int) error) {
+	// Only root can successfully chown a mounted workspace. In restricted
+	// Kubernetes pods the init process may already be running as the scion
+	// user, so attempting chown here just adds noise before git init.
+	if uid <= 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	if currentEUID != 0 {
+		log.Info("Skipping workspace chown for %s; running as non-root UID=%d", workspacePath, currentEUID)
+		return
+	}
+	if err := chown(workspacePath, uid, gid); err != nil {
+		log.Error("Failed to chown workspace to UID=%d GID=%d: %v", uid, gid, err)
+	}
+}
+
 // configureSharedWorkspaceGit sets up git credentials for shared-workspace
 // (git-workspace hybrid) groves. The workspace is a pre-cloned git repo shared
 // by all agents; each agent gets its own credential helper in $HOME/.gitconfig
diff --git a/cmd/sciontool/commands/init_test.go b/cmd/sciontool/commands/init_test.go
index 22f54e89..5b87bcac 100644
--- a/cmd/sciontool/commands/init_test.go
+++ b/cmd/sciontool/commands/init_test.go
@@ -745,7 +745,6 @@ func TestGitCloneWorkspace_NonZeroUIDChownsWorkspace(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected a git failure error, got: %v", err)
 	}
 }
-
 func TestConfigureGitCommand_SkipsCredentialOverrideWhenAlreadyRunningAsTargetUser(t *testing.T) {
 	cmd := exec.CommandContext(context.Background(), "git", "status")
 
@@ -774,3 +773,34 @@ func TestConfigureGitCommand_SkipsCredentialOverrideForNonRootDifferentTarget(t
 		t.Fatalf("expected no credential override for non-root process, got %#v", cmd.SysProcAttr)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestEnsureWorkspaceOwnership_SkipsChownWhenNonRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	chownCalled := false
+	chown := func(string, int, int) error {
+		chownCalled = true
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	ensureWorkspaceOwnership("/workspace", 1000, 1000, 1000, chown)
+
+	if chownCalled {
+		t.Fatal("expected chown to be skipped when already running as non-root")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestEnsureWorkspaceOwnership_ChownsWhenRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	var gotPath string
+	var gotUID, gotGID int
+	chown := func(path string, uid, gid int) error {
+		gotPath = path
+		gotUID = uid
+		gotGID = gid
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	ensureWorkspaceOwnership("/workspace", 1000, 1000, 0, chown)
+
+	if gotPath != "/workspace" || gotUID != 1000 || gotGID != 1000 {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected chown call: path=%q uid=%d gid=%d", gotPath, gotUID, gotGID)
+	}
+}