diff --git a/lock.go b/lock.go
index 767f21511..dd24e8b15 100644
--- a/lock.go
+++ b/lock.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
 	"os/user"
-	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
@@ -117,15 +116,8 @@ func (l *Lock) fillUserInfo() error {
 	}
 	l.Username = usr.Username
 
-	// We ignore the error. On Windows Uid is not a number
-	uid, _ := strconv.ParseInt(usr.Uid, 10, 32)
-	l.UID = uint32(uid)
-
-	// We ignore the error. On Windows Gid is not a number
-	gid, _ := strconv.ParseInt(usr.Gid, 10, 32)
-	l.GID = uint32(gid)
-
-	return nil
+	l.UID, l.GID, err = uidGidInt(*usr)
+	return err
 }
 
 // checkForOtherLocks looks for other locks that currently exist in the repository.
diff --git a/lock_unix.go b/lock_unix.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..851071ab2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lock_unix.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// +build !windows
+
+package restic
+
+import (
+	"os/user"
+	"strconv"
+)
+
+// uidGidInt returns uid, gid of the user as a number.
+func uidGidInt(u user.User) (uid, gid uint32, err error) {
+	var ui, gi int
+	ui, err = strconv.ParseInt(u.Uid, 10, 32)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	gi, err = strconv.ParseInt(u.Gid, 10, 32)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	uid = uint32(ui)
+	gid = uint32(gi)
+	return
+}
diff --git a/lock_windows.go b/lock_windows.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2e0c68b48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lock_windows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+package restic
+
+import (
+	"os/user"
+)
+
+// uidGidInt always returns 0 on Windows, since uid isn't numbers
+func uidGidInt(u user.User) (uid, gid uint32, err error) {
+	return 0, 0, nil
+}
diff --git a/snapshot.go b/snapshot.go
index 1693d2b75..91c40a62d 100644
--- a/snapshot.go
+++ b/snapshot.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/user"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/restic/restic/backend"
@@ -76,15 +75,9 @@ func (sn *Snapshot) fillUserInfo() error {
 	}
 	sn.Username = usr.Username
 
-	// We ignore the error. On Windows Uid is not a number
-	uid, _ := strconv.ParseInt(usr.Uid, 10, 32)
-	sn.UID = uint32(uid)
-
-	// We ignore the error. On Windows Gid is not a number
-	gid, _ := strconv.ParseInt(usr.Gid, 10, 32)
-	sn.GID = uint32(gid)
-
-	return nil
+	// set userid and groupid
+	sn.UID, sn.GID, err = uidGidInt(*usr)
+	return err
 }
 
 // FindSnapshot takes a string and tries to find a snapshot whose ID matches