diff --git a/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_java.sh b/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_java.sh
index 0766e80a42..6c2d077cd7 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_java.sh
+++ b/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_java.sh
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ END_OF_JCLOUDS_SCRIPT
 	chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers
 	mkdir -p /home/users
 	chmod 0755 /home/users
-	groupadd -f wheel
+	getent group wheel || groupadd -f wheel
 	useradd -c 'defaultAdminUsername' -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /home/users/defaultAdminUsername -p 'crypt(randompassword)' defaultAdminUsername
 	mkdir -p /home/users/defaultAdminUsername/.ssh
 	cat >> /home/users/defaultAdminUsername/.ssh/authorized_keys <<-'END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE'
diff --git a/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_jetty.sh b/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_jetty.sh
index 87ee905641..1e662427f1 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_jetty.sh
+++ b/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_jetty.sh
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ END_OF_JCLOUDS_SCRIPT
 	chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers
 	mkdir -p /home/users
 	chmod 0755 /home/users
-	groupadd -f wheel
+	getent group wheel || groupadd -f wheel
 	useradd -c 'web' -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /home/users/web -p 'crypt(randompassword)' web
 	mkdir -p /home/users/web/.ssh
 	cat >> /home/users/web/.ssh/authorized_keys <<-'END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE'
diff --git a/compute/src/test/resources/runscript_adminUpdate.sh b/compute/src/test/resources/runscript_adminUpdate.sh
index d7ebedcb2b..eca129a784 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/resources/runscript_adminUpdate.sh
+++ b/compute/src/test/resources/runscript_adminUpdate.sh
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ END_OF_JCLOUDS_SCRIPT
 	chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers
 	mkdir -p /over/ridden
 	chmod 0755 /over/ridden
-	groupadd -f wheel
+	getent group wheel || groupadd -f wheel
 	useradd -c 'foo' -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /over/ridden/foo -p 'crypt(randompassword)' foo
 	mkdir -p /over/ridden/foo/.ssh
 	cat >> /over/ridden/foo/.ssh/authorized_keys <<-'END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE'
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/main/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAdd.java b/scriptbuilder/src/main/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAdd.java
index a1341203a3..fe48d66f9b 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/main/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAdd.java
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/main/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAdd.java
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ public class UserAdd implements Statement {
       userAddOptions.put("-s", shell);
       if (!groups.isEmpty()) {
          for (String group : groups)
-            statements.add(Statements.exec("groupadd -f " + group));
+            statements.add(Statements.exec("getent group " + group + " || groupadd -f " + group));
 
          List<String> groups = Lists.newArrayList(this.groups);
          String primaryGroup = groups.remove(0);
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/test/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAddTest.java b/scriptbuilder/src/test/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAddTest.java
index 5322ccad06..76d64e6dac 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/test/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAddTest.java
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/test/java/org/jclouds/scriptbuilder/statements/login/UserAddTest.java
@@ -45,13 +45,13 @@ public class UserAddTest {
 
    public void testWithGroupUNIX() {
       assertEquals(UserAdd.builder().login("me").group("wheel").build().render(OsFamily.UNIX),
-               "mkdir -p /home/users\nchmod 0755 /home/users\ngroupadd -f wheel\nuseradd -c me -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /home/users/me me\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
+               "mkdir -p /home/users\nchmod 0755 /home/users\ngetent group wheel || groupadd -f wheel\nuseradd -c me -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /home/users/me me\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
    }
 
    public void testWithGroupsUNIX() {
       assertEquals(UserAdd.builder().login("me").groups(ImmutableList.of("wheel", "candy")).build().render(
                OsFamily.UNIX),
-               "mkdir -p /home/users\nchmod 0755 /home/users\ngroupadd -f wheel\ngroupadd -f candy\nuseradd -c me -s /bin/bash -g wheel -G candy -m  -d /home/users/me me\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
+               "mkdir -p /home/users\nchmod 0755 /home/users\ngetent group wheel || groupadd -f wheel\ngetent group candy || groupadd -f candy\nuseradd -c me -s /bin/bash -g wheel -G candy -m  -d /home/users/me me\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n");
    }
 
    Function<String, String> crypt = new Function<String, String>() {
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public class UserAddTest {
 
    public void testWithPasswordUNIX() {
       String userAdd = UserAdd.builder().cryptFunction(crypt).login("me").password("password").group("wheel").build().render(OsFamily.UNIX);
-      assert userAdd.startsWith("mkdir -p /home/users\nchmod 0755 /home/users\ngroupadd -f wheel\nuseradd -c me -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /home/users/me -p 'CRYPT'") : userAdd;
+      assert userAdd.startsWith("mkdir -p /home/users\nchmod 0755 /home/users\ngetent group wheel || groupadd -f wheel\nuseradd -c me -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /home/users/me -p 'CRYPT'") : userAdd;
       assert userAdd.endsWith("' me\nchown -R me /home/users/me\n") : userAdd;
    }
 
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_flipped.sh b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_flipped.sh
index 5fec29ab6d..cd2695fdcf 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_flipped.sh
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_flipped.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ END_OF_FILE
 chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers
 mkdir -p /home/users
 chmod 0755 /home/users
-groupadd -f wheel
+getent group wheel || groupadd -f wheel
 useradd -c defaultAdminUsername -s /bin/bash -g wheel -d /home/users/defaultAdminUsername -p 'crypt(0)' defaultAdminUsername
 mkdir -p /home/users/defaultAdminUsername/.ssh
 cat >> /home/users/defaultAdminUsername/.ssh/authorized_keys <<'END_OF_FILE'
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_params.sh b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_params.sh
index 61ef3ad04a..42d4852ca6 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_params.sh
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_params.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE
 chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers
 mkdir -p /over/ridden
 chmod 0755 /over/ridden
-groupadd -f wheel
+getent group wheel || groupadd -f wheel
 useradd -c 'foo' -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /over/ridden/foo -p 'crypt(bar)' foo
 mkdir -p /over/ridden/foo/.ssh
 cat >> /over/ridden/foo/.ssh/authorized_keys <<-'END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE'
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_params_and_fullname.sh b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_params_and_fullname.sh
index 1481337bc7..20b1ee63b9 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_params_and_fullname.sh
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_params_and_fullname.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE
 chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers
 mkdir -p /over/ridden
 chmod 0755 /over/ridden
-groupadd -f wheel
+getent group wheel || groupadd -f wheel
 useradd -c 'JClouds Foo' -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /over/ridden/foo -p 'crypt(bar)' foo
 mkdir -p /over/ridden/foo/.ssh
 cat >> /over/ridden/foo/.ssh/authorized_keys <<-'END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE'
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_standard.sh b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_standard.sh
index 25fca5f1ee..db10e19cdf 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_standard.sh
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_adminaccess_standard.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE
 chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers
 mkdir -p /home/users
 chmod 0755 /home/users
-groupadd -f wheel
+getent group wheel || groupadd -f wheel
 useradd -c 'defaultAdminUsername' -s /bin/bash -g wheel -m  -d /home/users/defaultAdminUsername -p 'crypt(0)' defaultAdminUsername
 mkdir -p /home/users/defaultAdminUsername/.ssh
 cat >> /home/users/defaultAdminUsername/.ssh/authorized_keys <<-'END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE'