diff --git a/modules/sops/default.nix b/modules/sops/default.nix
index 7625d37e..f4208761 100644
--- a/modules/sops/default.nix
+++ b/modules/sops/default.nix
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ let
       };
       uid = lib.mkOption {
         type = lib.types.ints.unsigned;
-        default = users.users."root".uid;
+        default = 0;
         description = ''
           UID of the file, only applied when owner is null. The UID will be applied even if the corresponding user doesn't exist.
         '';
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ let
       };
       gid = lib.mkOption {
         type = lib.types.ints.unsigned;
-        default = users.groups."root".gid;
+        default = 0;
         description = ''
           GID of the file, only applied when group is null. The GID will be applied even if the corresponding group doesn't exist.
         '';
@@ -333,10 +333,10 @@ in {
             (builtins.isString secret.sopsFile && lib.hasPrefix builtins.storeDir secret.sopsFile);
           message = "'${secret.sopsFile}' is not in the Nix store. Either add it to the Nix store or set sops.validateSopsFiles to false";
         } {
-          assertion = secret.uid != users.users."root".uid -> secret.owner == null;
+          assertion = secret.uid != 0 -> secret.owner == null;
           message = "In ${secret.name} exactly one of sops.owner and sops.uid must be set";
         } {
-          assertion = secret.gid != users.groups."root".gid -> secret.group == null;
+          assertion = secret.gid != 0 -> secret.group == null;
           message = "In ${secret.name} exactly one of sops.group and sops.gid must be set";
         }]) cfg.secrets)
       );