diff --git a/libmount/src/context_mount.c b/libmount/src/context_mount.c
index 5aae4bea0..3d8446002 100644
--- a/libmount/src/context_mount.c
+++ b/libmount/src/context_mount.c
@@ -377,9 +377,7 @@ int mnt_context_mount_setopt(struct libmnt_context *cxt, int c, char *arg)
 
 static int exec_helper(struct libmnt_context *cxt)
 {
-	struct libmnt_optlist *ol;
 	struct libmnt_ns *ns_tgt = mnt_context_get_target_ns(cxt);
-	const char *o = NULL;
 	char *namespace = NULL;
 	int rc;
 	pid_t pid;
@@ -391,14 +389,6 @@ static int exec_helper(struct libmnt_context *cxt)
 
 	DBG(CXT, ul_debugobj(cxt, "mount: executing helper %s", cxt->helper));
 
-	ol = mnt_context_get_optlist(cxt);
-	if (!ol)
-		return -ENOMEM;
-
-	rc = mnt_optlist_get_optstr(ol, &o, NULL, MNT_OL_FLTR_HELPERS);
-	if (rc)
-		return rc;
-
 	if (ns_tgt->fd != -1
 	    && asprintf(&namespace, "/proc/%i/fd/%i",
 			getpid(), ns_tgt->fd) == -1) {
@@ -412,8 +402,24 @@ static int exec_helper(struct libmnt_context *cxt)
 	case 0:
 	{
 		const char *args[14], *type;
+		struct libmnt_optlist *ol = mnt_context_get_optlist(cxt);
+		struct libmnt_opt *opt;
+		const char *o = NULL;
 		int i = 0;
 
+		if (!ol)
+			_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+
+		/* Call helper with original user=<name> (aka "saved user")
+		 * or remove the username at all.
+		 */
+		opt = mnt_optlist_get_opt(ol, MNT_MS_USER, cxt->map_userspace);
+		if (opt && !(cxt->flags & MNT_FL_SAVED_USER))
+			mnt_opt_set_value(opt, NULL);
+
+		if (mnt_optlist_get_optstr(ol, &o, NULL, MNT_OL_FLTR_HELPERS))
+			_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+
 		if (drop_permissions() != 0)
 			_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);