diff --git a/docker-compose.yaml b/docker-compose.yaml
index 572e827..a0ed559 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ services:
     image: ghcr.io/lavalink-devs/lavalink:4
     container_name: lavalink
     restart: unless-stopped
+    # A mounted volume at /opt/Lavalink/plugins is created root-owned (the image
+    # has no plugins dir for Docker to copy ownership from), but Lavalink runs as
+    # a non-root user and can't write there. Run as root so it can download the
+    # plugin jars into the volume. The container is internal-only.
+    user: "0:0"
     env_file:
       - .env
     environment: