diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7c8604a..9a030c8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,16 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- `make install` failed on any system without a `shadow` group -- Fedora,
+  Arch, or a packager's chroot -- because `expiry` was installed setgid to a
+  group that was not there. On such systems `/etc/shadow` is readable by root
+  alone and the GNU tool that reads it on a user's behalf, `chage`, is setuid
+  root; `expiry` now follows that convention where the group is absent, and
+  `SHADOW_GROUP=` names one that goes by another name. Reported by the Arch
+  packager (#306)
+
 ### Added
 
 - `make verify-release TAG=<version>` runs the three published archives of a
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index dcae177..c62c695 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -23,6 +23,24 @@ USER_BIN_TOOLS = chage login
 # expiry reads the caller's own /etc/shadow line and nothing else, and the GNU
 # suite ships it setgid shadow -- enough to read the file, no more.
 SETGID_SHADOW_TOOLS = expiry
+
+# The group allowed to read /etc/shadow. Debian and Ubuntu have one, `shadow`,
+# and that is what the tools above are made setgid to. Fedora and Arch have no
+# such group: /etc/shadow there is readable by root alone, and the GNU tool
+# that reads it on a user's behalf, chage, is setuid root instead. Where the
+# group does not exist at install time -- those systems, or a packager's
+# chroot -- the tools above follow that convention and are installed setuid
+# root; they check the caller's real uid, so the extra privilege buys a user
+# nothing beyond reading their own line. Packagers whose target has the group
+# under another name set SHADOW_GROUP.
+SHADOW_GROUP ?= shadow
+ifneq ($(shell getent group '$(SHADOW_GROUP)' >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo yes),)
+SETGID_INSTALL = install -Dm2755 -g '$(SHADOW_GROUP)'
+SETGID_LABEL = setgid $(SHADOW_GROUP) (2755)
+else
+SETGID_INSTALL = install -Dm4755
+SETGID_LABEL = setuid (4755; no group '$(SHADOW_GROUP)' on this system)
+endif
 USER_TOOLS = $(SETUID_TOOLS) $(USER_BIN_TOOLS) $(SETGID_SHADOW_TOOLS)
 
 ALL_TOOLS = $(SETUID_TOOLS) $(ROOT_TOOLS) $(USER_BIN_TOOLS) $(SETGID_SHADOW_TOOLS)
@@ -158,7 +176,7 @@ install: build
 		install -Dm0755 target/release/$$tool $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/$$tool || exit 1; \
 	done
 	@for tool in $(SETGID_SHADOW_TOOLS); do \
-		install -Dm2755 -g shadow target/release/$$tool $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/$$tool || exit 1; \
+		$(SETGID_INSTALL) target/release/$$tool $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/$$tool || exit 1; \
 	done
 	@for tool in $(ROOT_TOOLS); do \
 		install -Dm0755 target/release/$$tool $(DESTDIR)$(SBINDIR)/$$tool || exit 1; \
@@ -166,7 +184,7 @@ install: build
 	@echo "Installed $(words $(ALL_TOOLS)) standalone binaries"
 	@echo "  $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/  setuid (4755): $(SETUID_TOOLS)"
 	@echo "  $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/  user (0755):   $(USER_BIN_TOOLS)"
-	@echo "  $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/  setgid shadow (2755): $(SETGID_SHADOW_TOOLS)"
+	@echo "  $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/  $(SETGID_LABEL): $(SETGID_SHADOW_TOOLS)"
 	@echo "  $(DESTDIR)$(SBINDIR)/ root (0755):   $(ROOT_TOOLS)"
 
 # Opt-in install: single multicall binary with symlinks. Smaller footprint.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ccdba92..bd7c503 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ docker compose run --rm debian cargo build --release
 Default install: 28 standalone per-tool binaries with least-privilege setuid
 layout matching GNU shadow-utils. Only `passwd`, `chfn`, `chsh`, `newgrp`,
 `gpasswd`, `sg`, `newuidmap` and `newgidmap` are installed setuid-root, `expiry` is setgid `shadow`; the other 19 are plain `0755`.
+On a system with no `shadow` group -- Fedora, Arch -- `expiry` is installed setuid-root instead, the way those systems ship the GNU tools that read `/etc/shadow` for a user; a group under another name is named with `SHADOW_GROUP=`.
 
 ```shell
 sudo make install PREFIX=/usr/local