diff --git a/minimal-kernel/Dockerfile b/minimal-kernel/Dockerfile
index 1c6e7c00..53e65fde 100644
--- a/minimal-kernel/Dockerfile
+++ b/minimal-kernel/Dockerfile
@@ -9,10 +9,9 @@ USER root
 ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND noninteractive
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -yq --no-install-recommends \
     wget \
-    build-essential \
     python3-dev \
+    build-essential \
     python3-pip \
-    libsm6 \
     python3-zmq \
     && apt-get clean
 
@@ -22,6 +21,14 @@ RUN wget --quiet https://github.com/krallin/tini/releases/download/v0.6.0/tini &
     mv tini /usr/local/bin/tini && \
     chmod +x /usr/local/bin/tini
 
+# Configure environment
+ENV SHELL /bin/bash
+ENV KG_USER jovyan
+ENV KG_UID 1000
+
+# Create jovyan user with UID=1000
+RUN useradd -m -s /bin/bash -N -u $KG_UID $KG_USER
+
 # Install Kernel Gateway
 RUN pip3 install jupyter_kernel_gateway==0.2.0
 
@@ -32,5 +39,5 @@ WORKDIR /tmp
 ENTRYPOINT ["tini", "--", "jupyter", "kernelgateway"]
 CMD ["--KernelGatewayApp.ip=0.0.0.0"]
 
-#error Permission denied: '/nonexistent' when not running as root or as user nobody
-USER root
\ No newline at end of file
+# Run container as jovyan
+USER jovyan
\ No newline at end of file