diff --git a/components/content-service/pkg/initializer/prebuild.go b/components/content-service/pkg/initializer/prebuild.go
index 80d4b83c8993c1..893a22d43e486d 100644
--- a/components/content-service/pkg/initializer/prebuild.go
+++ b/components/content-service/pkg/initializer/prebuild.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/xerrors"
 
 	"github.com/gitpod-io/gitpod/common-go/log"
+	"github.com/gitpod-io/gitpod/common-go/process"
 	"github.com/gitpod-io/gitpod/common-go/tracing"
 	csapi "github.com/gitpod-io/gitpod/content-service/api"
 	"github.com/gitpod-io/gitpod/content-service/pkg/archive"
@@ -152,5 +154,25 @@ func runGitInit(ctx context.Context, gInit *GitInitializer) (err error) {
 
 		log.Debug("prebuild initializer Git operations complete")
 	}
+
+	defer func() {
+		span.SetTag("Chown", gInit.Chown)
+		if !gInit.Chown {
+			return
+		}
+		// TODO (ptumik): need this for regular prebuild -> pvc workspace. Once fixed supervisor executor.execure() running with root we can remove this code.
+		args := []string{"-R", "-L", "gitpod:gitpod", gInit.Location}
+		cmd := exec.Command("chown", args...)
+		res, cerr := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+		if cerr != nil && !process.IsNotChildProcess(cerr) {
+			err = git.OpFailedError{
+				Args:       args,
+				ExecErr:    cerr,
+				Output:     string(res),
+				Subcommand: "chown",
+			}
+			return
+		}
+	}()
 	return nil
 }