diff --git a/sdk/java/src/main/java/io/juicefs/JuiceFileSystemImpl.java b/sdk/java/src/main/java/io/juicefs/JuiceFileSystemImpl.java
index af6b9eb7091a..3c42a8e6d6f3 100644
--- a/sdk/java/src/main/java/io/juicefs/JuiceFileSystemImpl.java
+++ b/sdk/java/src/main/java/io/juicefs/JuiceFileSystemImpl.java
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import java.util.zip.GZIPInputStream;
 import java.util.zip.ZipEntry;
+import java.util.regex.Matcher;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
 /****************************************************************
  * Implement the FileSystem API for JuiceFS
@@ -107,6 +109,9 @@ public class JuiceFileSystemImpl extends FileSystem {
   private String[] storageIds;
   private Random random = new Random();
 
+  private static final String USERNAME_UID_PATTERN = "[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+:[0-9]+";
+  private static final String GROUPNAME_GID_USERNAMES_PATTERN = "[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+:[0-9]+:[,a-zA-Z0-9_-]+";
+
   /*
     go call back
   */
@@ -508,13 +513,29 @@ private String readFile(String file) throws IOException {
     }
   }
 
+  private String parseUidAndGrouping(String pattern, String input) {
+    String result = null;
+    if (input == null || "".equals(input.trim())) {
+      return result;
+    }
+    List<String> matched = new ArrayList<>();
+    Matcher matcher = Pattern.compile(pattern).matcher(input);
+    while (matcher.find()) {
+      matched.add(matcher.group());
+    }
+    if (matched.size() > 0) {
+      result = String.join("\n", matched);
+    }
+    return result;
+  }
+
   private void updateUidAndGrouping(String uidFile, String groupFile) throws IOException {
-    String uidstr = null;
-    if (uidFile != null && !"".equals(uidFile.trim())) {
+    String uidstr = parseUidAndGrouping(USERNAME_UID_PATTERN, uidFile);
+    if (uidstr == null && uidFile != null && !"".equals(uidFile.trim())) {
       uidstr = readFile(uidFile);
     }
-    String grouping = null;
-    if (groupFile != null && !"".equals(groupFile.trim())) {
+    String grouping = parseUidAndGrouping(GROUPNAME_GID_USERNAMES_PATTERN, groupFile);
+    if (grouping == null && groupFile != null && !"".equals(groupFile.trim())) {
       grouping = readFile(groupFile);
     }
 
diff --git a/sdk/java/src/test/java/io/juicefs/JuiceFileSystemTest.java b/sdk/java/src/test/java/io/juicefs/JuiceFileSystemTest.java
index c9ad0891f9b3..0e4dd1be8975 100644
--- a/sdk/java/src/test/java/io/juicefs/JuiceFileSystemTest.java
+++ b/sdk/java/src/test/java/io/juicefs/JuiceFileSystemTest.java
@@ -751,6 +751,29 @@ public void testGuidMapping() throws Exception {
     fooFs.delete(f, false);
   }
 
+  public void testGuidMappingFromString() throws Exception {
+    Configuration newConf = new Configuration(cfg);
+
+    newConf.set("juicefs.users", "bar:10000;foo:20000;baz:30000");
+    newConf.set("juicefs.groups", "user:1000:foo,bar;admin:2000:baz");
+    newConf.set("juicefs.superuser", UserGroupInformation.getCurrentUser().getShortUserName());
+
+    FileSystem fooFs = createNewFs(newConf, "foo", new String[]{"nogrp"});
+    Path f = new Path("/test_foo");
+    fooFs.create(f).close();
+    fooFs.setOwner(f, "foo", "user");
+    assertEquals("foo", fooFs.getFileStatus(f).getOwner());
+    assertEquals("user", fooFs.getFileStatus(f).getGroup());
+
+    newConf.set("juicefs.users", "foo:20001");
+    newConf.set("juicefs.groups", "user:1001:foo,bar;admin:2001:baz");
+    FileSystem newFS = FileSystem.newInstance(newConf);
+    assertEquals("20000", fooFs.getFileStatus(f).getOwner());
+    assertEquals("1000", fooFs.getFileStatus(f).getGroup());
+
+    fooFs.delete(f, false);
+  }
+
   public void testTrash() throws Exception {
     Trash trash = new Trash(fs, cfg);
     Path trashFile = new Path("/tmp/trashfile");