diff --git a/ubuntu-install.sh b/ubuntu-install.sh
index 6c7d239..213f568 100644
--- a/ubuntu-install.sh
+++ b/ubuntu-install.sh
@@ -85,8 +85,17 @@ fi
 log_info "Setting permissions for static files..."
 chmod -R 755 static/
 find static/ -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;
-# Ensure nginx can access static files
-sudo chown -R www-data:www-data static/
+# Ensure nginx can access static files - try chown, fallback to group permissions
+if sudo chown -R www-data:www-data static/ 2>/dev/null; then
+    log_success "Static files ownership set to www-data"
+else
+    log_warning "Could not change ownership to www-data, using group permissions instead"
+    # Add www-data to the user's group and set group permissions
+    sudo usermod -a -G $USER www-data 2>/dev/null || true
+    sudo chmod -R 750 static/
+    find static/ -type f -exec sudo chmod 640 {} \;
+    log_info "Set group permissions for nginx access"
+fi
 
 # Create Python virtual environment
 log_info "Creating Python virtual environment..."