diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7a1c9742..55428f61 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ Where calling on the same task name, executed in order of inclusion
 
 ## Console
 
-Execute arbitrary remote commands as `deploy_user`
+Execute arbitrary remote commands
 
     $ cap staging console
 
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/dsl.rb b/lib/capistrano/dsl.rb
index 3fc68b40..0d875a6e 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/dsl.rb
+++ b/lib/capistrano/dsl.rb
@@ -20,10 +20,6 @@ module Capistrano
       I18n.t(*args, scope: :capistrano)
     end
 
-    def deploy_user
-      fetch(:deploy_user)
-    end
-
     def scm
       fetch(:scm)
     end
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/tasks/bundler.rake b/lib/capistrano/tasks/bundler.rake
index c104ad6f..9b5e3be2 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/tasks/bundler.rake
+++ b/lib/capistrano/tasks/bundler.rake
@@ -2,10 +2,8 @@ namespace :deploy do
 
   after :update, :bundle do
     on all do
-      as deploy_user do
-        within release_path do
-          execute :bundle, "--gemfile #{release_path}/Gemfile --deployment --binstubs #{shared_path}/bin --path #{shared_path}/bundle --without development test cucumber"
-        end
+      within release_path do
+        execute :bundle, "--gemfile #{release_path}/Gemfile --deployment --binstubs #{shared_path}/bin --path #{shared_path}/bundle --without development test cucumber"
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/tasks/console.rake b/lib/capistrano/tasks/console.rake
index bb6de5a7..5c14e198 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/tasks/console.rake
+++ b/lib/capistrano/tasks/console.rake
@@ -10,9 +10,7 @@ task :console do
     else
       begin
         on all do
-          as deploy_user do
-            execute command
-          end
+          execute command
         end
       rescue => e
         puts e
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/tasks/deploy.rake b/lib/capistrano/tasks/deploy.rake
index 65751254..82a75980 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/tasks/deploy.rake
+++ b/lib/capistrano/tasks/deploy.rake
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 namespace :deploy do
   task :started do
-    invoke 'deploy:check:user'
-    invoke 'deploy:check:permissions'
     invoke 'deploy:ensure:directories'
     invoke "#{scm}:prepare"
   end
@@ -27,36 +25,18 @@ namespace :deploy do
   end
 
   namespace :check do
-    task :user do
-      on all do
-        unless test("getent passwd \"#{deploy_user}\" > /dev/null")
-          error t('error.user.does_not_exist', user: deploy_user)
-        end
-      end
-    end
 
-    task :permissions do
-      on all do
-        unless test("sudo su #{deploy_user} -c whoami > /dev/null")
-          error t('error.user.cannot_switch', user: deploy_user)
-        end
-      end
-    end
   end
 
   namespace :ensure do
     task :directories do
       on all do
         unless test "[ -d #{shared_path} ]"
-          as deploy_user do
-            execute :mkdir, '-p', shared_path
-          end
+          execute :mkdir, '-p', shared_path
         end
 
         unless test "[ -d #{releases_path} ]"
-          as deploy_user do
-            execute :mkdir, '-p', releases_path
-          end
+          execute :mkdir, '-p', releases_path
         end
       end
     end
@@ -65,65 +45,55 @@ namespace :deploy do
   namespace :symlink do
     task :release do
       on all do
-        as deploy_user do
-          execute :rm, '-rf', current_path
-          execute :ln, '-s', release_path, current_path
-        end
+        execute :rm, '-rf', current_path
+        execute :ln, '-s', release_path, current_path
       end
     end
 
     task :shared do
       # configuration exists
       on all do
-        as deploy_user do
-          fetch(:linked_files).each do |file|
-            unless test "[ -f #{shared_path}/#{file} ]"
-              # create config file
-            end
+        fetch(:linked_files).each do |file|
+          unless test "[ -f #{shared_path}/#{file} ]"
+            # create config file
           end
         end
       end
 
       # configuration is symlinked
       on all do
-        as deploy_user do
-          fetch(:linked_files).each do |file|
-            target = File.join(release_path, file)
-            source = File.join(shared_path, file)
-            unless test "[ -L #{target} ]"
-              if test "[ -f #{target} ]"
-                execute :rm, target
+        fetch(:linked_files).each do |file|
+          target = File.join(release_path, file)
+          source = File.join(shared_path, file)
+          unless test "[ -L #{target} ]"
+            if test "[ -f #{target} ]"
+              execute :rm, target
             end
             execute :ln, '-s', source, target
-            end
           end
         end
       end
 
       # tmp/log/public folders exist in shared
       on all do
-        as deploy_user do
-          fetch(:linked_dirs).each do |dir|
-            dir = File.join(shared_path, dir)
-            unless test "[ -d #{dir} ]"
-              execute :mkdir, '-p', dir
-            end
+        fetch(:linked_dirs).each do |dir|
+          dir = File.join(shared_path, dir)
+          unless test "[ -d #{dir} ]"
+            execute :mkdir, '-p', dir
           end
         end
       end
 
       # tmp/log/public folders are symlinked
       on all do
-        as deploy_user do
-          fetch(:linked_dirs).each do |dir|
-            target = File.join(release_path, dir)
-            source = File.join(shared_path, dir)
-            unless test "[ -L #{target} ]"
-              if test "[ -f #{target} ]"
-                execute :rm, '-rf', target
+        fetch(:linked_dirs).each do |dir|
+          target = File.join(release_path, dir)
+          source = File.join(shared_path, dir)
+          unless test "[ -L #{target} ]"
+            if test "[ -f #{target} ]"
+              execute :rm, '-rf', target
             end
             execute :ln, '-s', source, target
-            end
           end
         end
       end
@@ -133,12 +103,10 @@ namespace :deploy do
   namespace :web do
     task :ensure do
       on roles(:web) do
-        as deploy_user do
-          within shared_path do
-            file = File.join(shared_path, maintenance_page)
-            if test "[ -f #{shared_path}/#{file} ]"
-              execute :rm, file
-            end
+        within shared_path do
+          file = File.join(shared_path, maintenance_page)
+          if test "[ -f #{shared_path}/#{file} ]"
+            execute :rm, file
           end
         end
       end
@@ -147,46 +115,38 @@ namespace :deploy do
 
   task :disable do
     on all do
-      as deploy_user do
-        within shared_path do
-          execute :touch, maintenance_page
-        end
+      within shared_path do
+        execute :touch, maintenance_page
       end
     end
   end
 
   task :normalise_assets do
     on roles(:web) do
-      as deploy_user do
-        within release_path do
-          assets = %{public/images public/javascripts public/stylesheets}
-          execute :find, "#{assets} -exec touch -t #{asset_timestamp} {} ';'; true"
-        end
+      within release_path do
+        assets = %{public/images public/javascripts public/stylesheets}
+        execute :find, "#{assets} -exec touch -t #{asset_timestamp} {} ';'; true"
       end
     end
   end
 
   task :cleanup do
     on all do
-      as deploy_user do
-        count = fetch(:keep_releases, 5).to_i
-        releases = capture("ls -xt #{releases_path}").split.reverse
-        if releases.length >= count
-          info "keeping #{count} of #{releases.length} deployed releases"
-          directories = (releases - releases.last(count)).map { |release|
-            File.join(releases_path, release) }.join(" ")
-          execute :rm, '-rf', directories
-        end
+      count = fetch(:keep_releases, 5).to_i
+      releases = capture("ls -xt #{releases_path}").split.reverse
+      if releases.length >= count
+        info "keeping #{count} of #{releases.length} deployed releases"
+        directories = (releases - releases.last(count)).map { |release|
+          File.join(releases_path, release) }.join(" ")
+        execute :rm, '-rf', directories
       end
     end
   end
 
   task :log_revision do
     on roles(:web) do
-      as deploy_user do
-        within releases_path do
-          execute %{echo "#{revision_log_message}" >> #{revision_log}}
-        end
+      within releases_path do
+        execute %{echo "#{revision_log_message}" >> #{revision_log}}
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/tasks/git.rake b/lib/capistrano/tasks/git.rake
index b063b043..673a6631 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/tasks/git.rake
+++ b/lib/capistrano/tasks/git.rake
@@ -3,9 +3,7 @@ namespace :git do
     on all do
       unless test "[ -d #{repo_path} ]"
         within deploy_path do
-          as deploy_user do
-            execute :git, :clone, fetch(:repo), repo_path
-          end
+          execute :git, :clone, fetch(:repo), repo_path
         end
       end
     end
@@ -18,20 +16,16 @@ namespace :git do
 
   task :reset_to_ref do
     on all do
-      as deploy_user do
-        within repo_path do
-          execute :git, 'fetch origin'
-          execute :git,  "reset --hard origin/#{fetch(:branch)}"
-        end
+      within repo_path do
+        execute :git, 'fetch origin'
+        execute :git,  "reset --hard origin/#{fetch(:branch)}"
       end
     end
   end
 
   task :create_release do
     on all do
-      as deploy_user do
-        execute :cp, "-RPp", repo_path, release_path
-      end
+      execute :cp, "-RPp", repo_path, release_path
     end
   end
 end