diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 543a712..43e32fd 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -51,3 +51,19 @@ This depends on the vim-formula to be installed.
 ---------------
 
 Permits the abitrary management of files. See pillar.example for configuration details.
+
+Overriding default values
+=========================
+
+In order to separate actual user account definitions from configuration the pillar ``users-formula`` was introduced:
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+    users:
+      myuser:
+        # stuff
+
+    users-formula:
+      lookup:
+        root_group: toor
+        shell: '/bin/zsh'
diff --git a/pillar.example b/pillar.example
index 14e25e8..c1520b7 100644
--- a/pillar.example
+++ b/pillar.example
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+users-formula:
+  lookup:  # override the defauls in map.jinja
+    root_group: root
+
 users:
   ## Minimal required pillar values
   auser:
diff --git a/users/map.jinja b/users/map.jinja
index f81acc4..289f966 100644
--- a/users/map.jinja
+++ b/users/map.jinja
@@ -44,4 +44,4 @@
     'sudo_package': 'sudo',
     'googleauth_package': 'libpam-google-authenticator',
   },
-}, merge=salt['pillar.get']('users:lookup')) %}
+}, merge=salt['pillar.get']('users-formula:lookup')) %}