diff --git a/components/content-service/pkg/initializer/git.go b/components/content-service/pkg/initializer/git.go
index 3f0f1916aace5a..2eade19f4cb469 100644
--- a/components/content-service/pkg/initializer/git.go
+++ b/components/content-service/pkg/initializer/git.go
@@ -110,7 +110,11 @@ func (ws *GitInitializer) Run(ctx context.Context, mappings []archive.IDMapping)
 		return src, xerrors.Errorf("git initializer gitClone: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if ws.Chown {
+	defer func() {
+		span.SetTag("Chown", ws.Chown)
+		if !ws.Chown {
+			return
+		}
 		// TODO (aledbf): refactor to remove the need of manual chown
 		args := []string{"-R", "-L", "gitpod", ws.Location}
 		cmd := exec.Command("chown", args...)
@@ -124,7 +128,8 @@ func (ws *GitInitializer) Run(ctx context.Context, mappings []archive.IDMapping)
 			}
 			return
 		}
-	}
+	}()
+
 	if err := ws.realizeCloneTarget(ctx); err != nil {
 		return src, xerrors.Errorf("git initializer clone: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/components/supervisor/pkg/supervisor/supervisor.go b/components/supervisor/pkg/supervisor/supervisor.go
index 6e4a974ee1a260..f2b8a229cfcc65 100644
--- a/components/supervisor/pkg/supervisor/supervisor.go
+++ b/components/supervisor/pkg/supervisor/supervisor.go
@@ -1325,11 +1325,9 @@ func startContentInit(ctx context.Context, cfg *Config, wg *sync.WaitGroup, cst
 
 	fn := "/workspace/.gitpod/content.json"
 	fnReady := "/workspace/.gitpod/ready"
-	doChown := true
 	if _, err := os.Stat("/.workspace/.gitpod/content.json"); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		fn = "/.workspace/.gitpod/content.json"
 		fnReady = "/.workspace/.gitpod/ready"
-		doChown = false // cannot chown when using PVC as it is owned by 133332 user
 		log.Info("Detected content.json in /.workspace folder, assuming PVC feature enabled")
 	}
 
@@ -1378,7 +1376,7 @@ func startContentInit(ctx context.Context, cfg *Config, wg *sync.WaitGroup, cst
 
 	log.Info("supervisor: running content service executor with content descriptor")
 	var src csapi.WorkspaceInitSource
-	src, err = executor.Execute(ctx, "/workspace", contentFile, doChown)
+	src, err = executor.Execute(ctx, "/workspace", contentFile, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}