diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/build-fhs-userenv/chroot-user.rb b/pkgs/build-support/build-fhs-userenv/chroot-user.rb
index 35608bd3eb6..3e140fac97e 100755
--- a/pkgs/build-support/build-fhs-userenv/chroot-user.rb
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/build-fhs-userenv/chroot-user.rb
@@ -79,7 +79,11 @@ if $cpid == 0
   $unshare.call CLONE_NEWNS | CLONE_NEWUSER
 
   # Map users and groups to the parent namespace
-  write_file '/proc/self/setgroups', 'deny'
+  begin
+    # setgroups is only available since Linux 3.19
+    write_file '/proc/self/setgroups', 'deny'
+  rescue
+  end
   write_file '/proc/self/uid_map', "#{uid} #{uid} 1"
   write_file '/proc/self/gid_map', "#{gid} #{gid} 1"