diff --git a/internal/articles/thresholds.go b/internal/articles/thresholds.go
index d49ccbb..dd0c8f3 100644
--- a/internal/articles/thresholds.go
+++ b/internal/articles/thresholds.go
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"io/fs"
 	"os"
-	"syscall"
+
+	"github.com/pilot-protocol/cosift/internal/fileowner"
 )
 
 const DefaultThresholdsPath = "/etc/cosift/articles.json"
@@ -49,11 +50,11 @@ func LoadThresholds(path string) (Thresholds, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return Thresholds{}, err
 	}
-	st, ok := fi.Sys().(*syscall.Stat_t)
+	owner, ok := fileowner.UID(fi)
 	switch {
 	case !fi.Mode().IsRegular():
 		return Thresholds{}, errors.New("not a regular file")
-	case !ok || st.Uid != thresholdsOwner:
+	case !ok || owner != thresholdsOwner:
 		return Thresholds{}, fmt.Errorf("owner must be uid %d", thresholdsOwner)
 	case fi.Mode().Perm()&0o027 != 0:
 		return Thresholds{}, errors.New("mode must not grant group write or any other access")
diff --git a/internal/fileowner/owner_other.go b/internal/fileowner/owner_other.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b570b3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/fileowner/owner_other.go
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+//go:build !unix
+
+// Package fileowner reads a file's owning uid where the platform has one.
+package fileowner
+
+import "os"
+
+// UID reports no owner here, so every owner check refuses.
+func UID(os.FileInfo) (uint32, bool) { return 0, false }
diff --git a/internal/fileowner/owner_unix.go b/internal/fileowner/owner_unix.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8fbdc67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/fileowner/owner_unix.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+//go:build unix
+
+// Package fileowner reads a file's owning uid where the platform has one.
+package fileowner
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+// UID returns the file's owner uid; ok is false when it cannot be read.
+func UID(fi os.FileInfo) (uid uint32, ok bool) {
+	st, ok := fi.Sys().(*syscall.Stat_t)
+	if !ok {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	return st.Uid, true
+}
diff --git a/internal/svcauth/config.go b/internal/svcauth/config.go
index e403857..24fe008 100644
--- a/internal/svcauth/config.go
+++ b/internal/svcauth/config.go
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ import (
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
-	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/pilot-protocol/cosift/internal/fileowner"
 	v1 "github.com/pilot-protocol/cosift/internal/v1"
 )
 
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ func ReadFile(path string, uid uint32) ([]byte, error) {
 	if !st.Mode().IsRegular() {
 		return nil, errors.New("not a regular file")
 	}
-	sys, ok := st.Sys().(*syscall.Stat_t)
-	if !ok || sys.Uid != uid {
+	owner, ok := fileowner.UID(st)
+	if !ok || owner != uid {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("owner must be uid %d", uid)
 	}
 	if st.Mode().Perm()&0o027 != 0 {