diff --git a/lib/core.sh b/lib/core.sh
index dc29c34..75e405c 100644
--- a/lib/core.sh
+++ b/lib/core.sh
@@ -420,11 +420,17 @@ function _provide_bindings_as_user(){
 #  None
 #######################################
 function _build_passwd_and_group(){
-    if ! getent_cmd passwd > ${JUNEST_HOME}/etc/junest/passwd
+    # Enumeration of users/groups is disabled/limited depending on how nsswitch.conf
+    # is configured.
+    # Try to at least get the current user via `getent passwd $USER` since it uses
+    # a more reliable and faster system call (getpwnam(3)).
+    if ! getent_cmd passwd > ${JUNEST_HOME}/etc/junest/passwd || \
+        ! getent_cmd passwd ${USER} >> ${JUNEST_HOME}/etc/junest/passwd
     then
         warn "getent command failed or does not exist. Binding directly from /etc/passwd."
         cp_cmd /etc/passwd ${JUNEST_HOME}/etc/junest/passwd
     fi
+
     if ! getent_cmd group > ${JUNEST_HOME}/etc/junest/group
     then
         warn "getent command failed or does not exist. Binding directly from /etc/group."
diff --git a/tests/unit-tests/test-core.sh b/tests/unit-tests/test-core.sh
index a009510..1483d26 100755
--- a/tests/unit-tests/test-core.sh
+++ b/tests/unit-tests/test-core.sh
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ function test_build_passwd_and_group(){
         echo $@
     }
     GETENT=getent_cmd_mock assertCommandSuccess _build_passwd_and_group
-    assertEquals "passwd" "$(cat $JUNEST_HOME/etc/junest/passwd)"
+    assertEquals "$(echo -e "passwd\npasswd $USER")" "$(cat $JUNEST_HOME/etc/junest/passwd)"
     assertEquals "group" "$(cat $JUNEST_HOME/etc/junest/group)"
 }
 
@@ -325,11 +325,11 @@ function test_delete_env(){
 }
 
 function test_nested_env(){
-    JUNEST_ENV=1 assertCommandFailOnStatus 106 bash -ic "source $JUNEST_ROOT/lib/utils.sh; source $JUNEST_ROOT/lib/core.sh"
+    JUNEST_ENV=1 assertCommandFailOnStatus 106 bash -c "source $JUNEST_ROOT/lib/utils.sh; source $JUNEST_ROOT/lib/core.sh"
 }
 
 function test_nested_env_not_set_variable(){
-    JUNEST_ENV=aaa assertCommandFailOnStatus 107 bash -ic "source $JUNEST_ROOT/lib/utils.sh; source $JUNEST_ROOT/lib/core.sh"
+    JUNEST_ENV=aaa assertCommandFailOnStatus 107 bash -c "source $JUNEST_ROOT/lib/utils.sh; source $JUNEST_ROOT/lib/core.sh"
 }
 
 function test_qemu() {