diff --git a/mod_security.spec b/mod_security.spec
index f436b18..d33398e 100644
--- a/mod_security.spec
+++ b/mod_security.spec
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ Source1: mod_security.conf
 Source2: 10-mod_security.conf
 Source3: modsecurity_localrules.conf
 Requires: httpd httpd-mmn = %{_httpd_mmn}
+%if 0%{?fedora} || 0%{?rhel} > 7
+# Ensure apache user exists for file ownership
+Requires(pre): httpd-filesystem
+%endif
 
 BuildRequires: gcc
 BuildRequires: httpd-devel
@@ -47,6 +51,10 @@ as a powerful umbrella - shielding web applications from attacks.
 Summary:        ModSecurity Audit Log Collector
 Group:          System Environment/Daemons
 Requires:       mod_security
+%if 0%{fedora} || 0%{?rhel} > 7
+# Ensure apache user exists for file ownership
+Requires(pre):  httpd-filesystem
+%endif
 
 %description -n mlogc
 This package contains the ModSecurity Audit Log Collector.
@@ -132,6 +140,7 @@ install -m0644 mlogc/mlogc-default.conf %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/mlogc.conf
 
 %changelog
 * Fri Nov 16 2018 Joe Orton <jorton@redhat.com> - 2.9.2-7
+- Requires(pre): httpd-filesystem to ensure apache user exists
 - enable mlogc everywhere, use buildcond to disable
 
 * Fri Jul 13 2018 Fedora Release Engineering <releng@fedoraproject.org> - 2.9.2-6