diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 4d784d7..543a712 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ Available states
 ``users``
 ---------
 
-Configure a user's home directory, group, the user itself, secondary groups,
+Configures a user's home directory, group, the user itself, secondary groups,
 and associated keys. Also configures sudo access, and absent users.
 
 ``users.sudo``
@@ -31,21 +31,21 @@ is configured.
 ``users.bashrc``
 ----------------
 
-Ensures the bashrc file exists in the users home directory. Set manage_bashrc:
-True in pillar per user. Defaults to False
+Ensures the bashrc file exists in the users home directory. Sets 'manage_bashrc:
+True' in pillar per user. Defaults to False.
 
 ``users.profile``
 ----------------
 
-Ensures the profile file exists in the users home directory. Set manage_profile:
-True in pillar per user. Defaults to False
+Ensures the profile file exists in the users home directory. Sets 'manage_profile:
+True' in pillar per user. Defaults to False.
 
 ``users.vimrc``
 ---------------
 
-Ensures the vimrc file exists in the users home directory. Set manage_vimrc:
-True in pillar per user. Defaults to False
-This depends on the vim-formula to be installed
+Ensures the vimrc file exists in the users home directory. Sets 'manage_vimrc:
+True' in pillar per user. Defaults to False.
+This depends on the vim-formula to be installed.
 
 ``users.user_files``
 ---------------
diff --git a/pillar.example b/pillar.example
index 4e55a7c..fedcaaf 100644
--- a/pillar.example
+++ b/pillar.example
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ users:
     # WARNING: If 'empty_password' is set to True, the 'password' statement
     # will be ignored by enabling password-less login for the user.
     empty_password: False
+    system: False
     home: /custom/buser
     homedir_owner: buser
     homedir_group: primarygroup
+    user_dir_mode: 750
     createhome: True
     roomnumber: "A-1"
     workphone: "(555) 555-5555"
@@ -36,11 +38,15 @@ users:
     sudo_defaults:
       - '!requiretty'
     shell: /bin/bash
+    remove_groups: False
     prime_group:
       name: primarygroup
       gid: 500
     groups:
       - users
+    optional_groups:
+      - some_groups_that_might
+      - not_exist_on_all_minions
     ssh_key_type: rsa
     # You can inline the private keys ...
     ssh_keys:
diff --git a/users/bashrc.sls b/users/bashrc.sls
index fc268f4..4d4ca4d 100644
--- a/users/bashrc.sls
+++ b/users/bashrc.sls
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@ include:
   - users
 
 {% for name, user in pillar.get('users', {}).items() if user.absent is not defined or not user.absent %}
+{%- set current = salt.user.info(name) -%}
 {%- if user == None -%}
 {%- set user = {} -%}
 {%- endif -%}
-{%- set home = user.get('home', "/home/%s" % name) -%}
+{%- set home = user.get('home', current.get('home', "/home/%s" % name)) -%}
 {%- set manage = user.get('manage_bashrc', False) -%}
 {%- if 'prime_group' in user and 'name' in user['prime_group'] %}
 {%- set user_group = user.prime_group.name -%}
diff --git a/users/init.sls b/users/init.sls
index 3bc45ad..15c40d4 100644
--- a/users/init.sls
+++ b/users/init.sls
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ include:
 {%- if user == None -%}
 {%- set user = {} -%}
 {%- endif -%}
-{%- set home = user.get('home', "/home/%s" % name) -%}
+{%- set current = salt.user.info(name) -%}
+{%- set home = user.get('home', current.get('home', "/home/%s" % name)) -%}
 
 {%- if 'prime_group' in user and 'name' in user['prime_group'] %}
 {%- set user_group = user.prime_group.name -%}
@@ -73,10 +74,13 @@ users_{{ name }}_user:
     {%- elif 'uid' in user %}
     - gid: {{ user['uid'] }}
     {%- endif %}
+    {% if 'system' in user and user['system'] %}
+    - system: True
+    {% endif %}
   user.present:
     - name: {{ name }}
     - home: {{ home }}
-    - shell: {{ user.get('shell', users.get('shell', '/bin/bash')) }}
+    - shell: {{ user.get('shell', current.get('shell', users.get('shell', '/bin/bash'))) }}
     {% if 'uid' in user -%}
     - uid: {{ user['uid'] }}
     {% endif -%}
@@ -131,6 +135,12 @@ users_{{ name }}_user:
       {% for group in user.get('groups', []) -%}
       - {{ group }}
       {% endfor %}
+    {% if 'optional_groups' in user %}
+    - optional_groups:
+      {% for optional_group in user['optional_groups'] -%}
+      - {{optional_group}}
+      {% endfor %}
+    {% endif %}
     - require:
       - group: {{ user_group }}
       {% for group in user.get('groups', []) -%}
@@ -146,7 +156,7 @@ users_{{ name }}_user:
       'ssh_config' in user %}
 user_keydir_{{ name }}:
   file.directory:
-    - name: {{ user.get('home', '/home/{0}'.format(name)) }}/.ssh
+    - name: {{ home }}/.ssh
     - user: {{ name }}
     - group: {{ user_group }}
     - makedirs: True
@@ -163,8 +173,7 @@ user_keydir_{{ name }}:
   {% set key_type = 'id_' + user.get('ssh_key_type', 'rsa') %}
 users_user_{{ name }}_private_key:
   file.managed:
-    - name: {{ user.get('home',
-                  '/home/{0}'.format(name)) }}/.ssh/{{ key_type }}
+    - name: {{ home }}/.ssh/{{ key_type }}
     - user: {{ name }}
     - group: {{ user_group }}
     - mode: 600
@@ -177,8 +186,7 @@ users_user_{{ name }}_private_key:
       {% endfor %}
 users_user_{{ name }}_public_key:
   file.managed:
-    - name: {{ user.get('home',
-                  '/home/{0}'.format(name)) }}/.ssh/{{ key_type }}.pub
+    - name: {{ home }}/.ssh/{{ key_type }}.pub
     - user: {{ name }}
     - group: {{ user_group }}
     - mode: 644
@@ -204,9 +212,8 @@ users_authorized_keys_{{ name }}:
         {{ auth }}
         {% endfor -%}
 {% else %}
-    - contents: |
-        {%- for key_name, pillar_name in user['ssh_auth_pillar'].iteritems() %}
-        {{ salt['pillar.get'](pillar_name + ':' + key_name + ':pubkey', '') }}
+        {%- for key_name, pillar_name in user['ssh_auth_pillar'].items() %}
+    - contents_pillar: {{ pillar_name }}:{{ key_name }}:pubkey
         {%- endfor %}
 {% endif %}
 {% endif %}
@@ -218,7 +225,7 @@ users_ssh_auth_{{ name }}_{{ loop.index0 }}:
     - user: {{ name }}
     - name: {{ auth }}
     - require:
-        - file: users_{{ name }}_user
+        - file: user_keydir_{{ name }}
         - user: users_{{ name }}_user
 {% endfor %}
 {% endif %}
@@ -227,8 +234,7 @@ users_ssh_auth_{{ name }}_{{ loop.index0 }}:
 {% for key_name, pillar_name in user['ssh_keys_pillar'].items() %}
 user_ssh_keys_files_{{ name }}_{{ key_name }}_private_key:
   file.managed:
-    - name: {{ user.get('home',
-                  '/home/{0}'.format(name)) }}/.ssh/{{ key_name }}
+    - name: {{ home }}/.ssh/{{ key_name }}
     - user: {{ name }}
     - group: {{ user_group }}
     - mode: 600
@@ -241,8 +247,7 @@ user_ssh_keys_files_{{ name }}_{{ key_name }}_private_key:
       {% endfor %}
 user_ssh_keys_files_{{ name }}_{{ key_name }}_public_key:
   file.managed:
-    - name: {{ user.get('home',
-                  '/home/{0}'.format(name)) }}/.ssh/{{ key_name }}.pub
+    - name: {{ home }}/.ssh/{{ key_name }}.pub
     - user: {{ name }}
     - group: {{ user_group }}
     - mode: 644
@@ -336,6 +341,7 @@ users_ssh_known_hosts_delete_{{ name }}_{{ loop.index0 }}:
 
 users_sudoer-{{ name }}:
   file.managed:
+    - replace: False
     - name: {{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ name }}
     - user: root
     - group: {{ users.root_group }}
@@ -374,6 +380,7 @@ users_sudoer-{{ name }}:
 
 users_{{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ name }}:
   file.managed:
+    - replace: True
     - name: {{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ name }}
     - contents: |
       {%- if 'sudo_defaults' in user %}
@@ -382,6 +389,11 @@ users_{{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ name }}:
       {%- endfor %}
       {%- endif %}
       {%- if 'sudo_rules' in user %}
+        ########################################################################
+        # File managed by Salt (users-formula).
+        # Your changes will be overwritten.
+        ########################################################################
+        #
       {%- for rule in user['sudo_rules'] %}
         {{ name }} {{ rule }}
       {%- endfor %}
@@ -389,10 +401,10 @@ users_{{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ name }}:
     - require:
       - file: users_sudoer-defaults
       - file: users_sudoer-{{ name }}
-  cmd.wait:                                                                           
+  cmd.wait:
     - name: visudo -cf {{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ name }} || ( rm -rvf {{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ name }}; exit 1 )
-    - watch:                                                                         
-      - file: {{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ name }}   
+    - watch:
+      - file: {{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ name }}
 {% endif %}
 {% else %}
 users_{{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ name }}:
@@ -466,7 +478,8 @@ users_{{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ name }}:
 
 {% for user in pillar.get('absent_users', []) %}
 users_absent_user_2_{{ user }}:
-  user.absent
+  user.absent:
+    - name: {{ name }}
 users_2_{{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ user }}:
   file.absent:
     - name: {{ users.sudoers_dir }}/{{ user }}
diff --git a/users/profile.sls b/users/profile.sls
index b62c096..55ac8e2 100644
--- a/users/profile.sls
+++ b/users/profile.sls
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@ include:
   - users
 
 {% for name, user in pillar.get('users', {}).items() if user.absent is not defined or not user.absent %}
+{%- set current = salt.user.info(name) -%}
 {%- if user == None -%}
 {%- set user = {} -%}
 {%- endif -%}
-{%- set home = user.get('home', "/home/%s" % name) -%}
+{%- set home = user.get('home', current.get('home', "/home/%s" % name)) -%}
 {%- set manage = user.get('manage_profile', False) -%}
 {%- if 'prime_group' in user and 'name' in user['prime_group'] %}
 {%- set user_group = user.prime_group.name -%}
diff --git a/users/user_files.sls b/users/user_files.sls
index 95c1281..461628b 100644
--- a/users/user_files.sls
+++ b/users/user_files.sls
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ include:
 
 {% set userfile_dirs = salt['cp.list_master_dirs'](prefix='users/files/user/') -%}
 {%- for username, user in salt['pillar.get']('users', {}).items() if (user.absent is not defined or not user.absent) -%}
+{%- set current = salt.user.info(username) -%}
 {%- set user_files = salt['pillar.get'](('users:' ~ username ~ ':user_files'), {'enabled': False}) -%}
 {%- set user_group = salt['pillar.get'](('users:' ~ username ~ ':prime_group:name'), username) -%}
-{%- set user_home = salt['pillar.get'](('users:' ~ username ~ ':home'), '/home/' ~ username ) -%}
+{%- set user_home = salt['pillar.get'](('users:' ~ username ~ ':home'), current.get('home', '/home/' ~ username )) -%}
 {%- if user_files.enabled -%}
 
 {%- if user_files.source is defined -%}
diff --git a/users/vimrc.sls b/users/vimrc.sls
index e678bb6..5404738 100644
--- a/users/vimrc.sls
+++ b/users/vimrc.sls
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@ include:
   - vim
 
 {% for name, user in pillar.get('users', {}).items() if user.absent is not defined or not user.absent %}
+{%- set current = salt.user.info(name) -%}
 {%- if user == None -%}
 {%- set user = {} -%}
 {%- endif -%}
-{%- set home = user.get('home', "/home/%s" % name) -%}
+{%- set home = user.get('home', current.get('home', "/home/%s" % name)) -%}
 {%- set manage = user.get('manage_vimrc', False) -%}
 {%- if 'prime_group' in user and 'name' in user['prime_group'] %}
 {%- set user_group = user.prime_group.name -%}