--- a/user.eclass	2018-05-04 17:00:27.539576668 -0400
+++ b/user.eclass	2018-05-04 18:04:04.008990543 -0400
@@ -130,21 +130,15 @@
 	if [[ -n ${euid} && ${euid} != -1 ]] ; then
 		if [[ ${euid} -gt 0 ]] ; then
 			if [[ -n $(egetent passwd ${euid}) ]] ; then
-				euid="next"
+				euid="next available; requested uid taken"
 			fi
 		else
 			eerror "Userid given but is not greater than 0 !"
 			die "${euid} is not a valid UID"
 		fi
 	else
-		euid="next"
+		euid="next available"
 	fi
-	if [[ ${euid} == "next" ]] ; then
-		for ((euid = 101; euid <= 999; euid++)); do
-			[[ -z $(egetent passwd ${euid}) ]] && break
-		done
-	fi
-	opts+=( -u ${euid} )
 	einfo " - Userid: ${euid}"
 
 	# handle shell
@@ -217,9 +211,20 @@
 		einfo " - GECOS: ${comment}"
 	fi
 
+	# Some targets need to find the next available UID manually
+	_enewgroup_next_uid() {
+		if [[ ${euid} == *[!0-9]* ]] ; then
+			# Non numeric
+			for ((euid = 101; euid <= 999; euid++)) ; do
+				[[ -z $(egetent passwd ${euid}) ]] && break
+			done
+		fi
+	}
+
 	# add the user
 	case ${CHOST} in
 	*-darwin*)
+		_enewgroup_next_uid
 		### Make the user
 		dscl . create "/users/${euser}" uid ${euid}
 		dscl . create "/users/${euser}" shell "${eshell}"
@@ -240,12 +245,18 @@
 		;;
 
 	*-openbsd*)
+		_enewgroup_next_uid
 		# all ops the same, except the -g vs -g/-G ...
 		useradd -u ${euid} -s "${eshell}" \
 			-d "${ehome}" -g "${egroups}" "${euser}" || die
 		;;
 
 	*)
+		if [[ ${euid} == *[!0-9]* ]] ; then
+			: # Non numeric; let useradd figure out a UID for us
+		else
+			opts+=( -u "${euid}" )
+		fi
 		useradd -r "${opts[@]}" "${euser}" || die
 		;;
 	esac