diff --git a/devel/portlint/src/portlint.pl b/devel/portlint/src/portlint.pl
index d575e78944a0..c86ef300fe56 100644
--- a/devel/portlint/src/portlint.pl
+++ b/devel/portlint/src/portlint.pl
@@ -280,6 +280,18 @@ sub checkplist {
 				}
 			} elsif ($_ =~ /^\@(comment)/) {
 				$rcsidseen++ if (/\$$rcsidstr[:\$]/);
+			} elsif ($_ =~ /^\@(owner|group)\s+$/) {
+				&perror("WARN: $_ missing name in PLIST");
+			} elsif ($_ =~ /^\@(owner)(\s+)(.*)/) {
+				$space = $2;
+				$user = $3;
+				&perror("WARN: multiple spaces found in \"$_\"") if ($space =~ /\s\s+/);
+				&perror("WARN: \"$user\" unknown user in PLIST") if (getpwnam($user) eq "");
+			} elsif ($_ =~ /^\@(group)(\s+)(.*)/) {
+				$space = $2;
+				$group = $3;
+				&perror("WARN: multiple spaces found in \"$_\"") if ($space =~ /\s\s+/);
+				&perror("WARN: \"$group\" unknown group in PLIST") if (getgrnam($group) eq "");
 			} elsif ($_ =~ /^\@(dirrm|option)/) {
 				; # no check made
 			} else {
diff --git a/ports-mgmt/portlint/src/portlint.pl b/ports-mgmt/portlint/src/portlint.pl
index d575e78944a0..c86ef300fe56 100644
--- a/ports-mgmt/portlint/src/portlint.pl
+++ b/ports-mgmt/portlint/src/portlint.pl
@@ -280,6 +280,18 @@ sub checkplist {
 				}
 			} elsif ($_ =~ /^\@(comment)/) {
 				$rcsidseen++ if (/\$$rcsidstr[:\$]/);
+			} elsif ($_ =~ /^\@(owner|group)\s+$/) {
+				&perror("WARN: $_ missing name in PLIST");
+			} elsif ($_ =~ /^\@(owner)(\s+)(.*)/) {
+				$space = $2;
+				$user = $3;
+				&perror("WARN: multiple spaces found in \"$_\"") if ($space =~ /\s\s+/);
+				&perror("WARN: \"$user\" unknown user in PLIST") if (getpwnam($user) eq "");
+			} elsif ($_ =~ /^\@(group)(\s+)(.*)/) {
+				$space = $2;
+				$group = $3;
+				&perror("WARN: multiple spaces found in \"$_\"") if ($space =~ /\s\s+/);
+				&perror("WARN: \"$group\" unknown group in PLIST") if (getgrnam($group) eq "");
 			} elsif ($_ =~ /^\@(dirrm|option)/) {
 				; # no check made
 			} else {