diff --git a/patchwork/users.py b/patchwork/users.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b302e54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patchwork/users.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+"""Various tasks for verifying user existence and attributes"""
+
+from .util import set_runner
+
+
+@set_runner
+def user_exists(c, runner, user):
+    """Returns True if the given system user exists."""
+    cmd = "id {}".format(user)
+    return runner(cmd, hide=True, warn=True).ok
diff --git a/tasks.py b/tasks.py
index aa89672..919323e 100644
--- a/tasks.py
+++ b/tasks.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def sanity(c):
     Quick sanity check to ensure we're installed successfully. Mostly for CI.
     """
     # Doesn't need to literally import everything, but "a handful" will do.
-    for name in ('environment', 'files', 'transfers'):
+    for name in ('environment', 'files', 'transfers', 'users'):
         mod = "patchwork.{}".format(name)
         import_module(mod)
         print("Imported {} successfully".format(mod))