diff --git a/functions/@ b/functions/@
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..182f2e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/functions/@
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/zsh
+# for debugging: prefix any command with @ to print it before execution
+function @() {
+	echo "$*"; "$@"
+}
diff --git a/functions/parent-user b/functions/parent-user
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8973d97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/functions/parent-user
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+function parent-user() {
+    pid=${1:-$$}
+    uid=${2:-$(piduser $pid)}
+    stat=($(</proc/${pid}/stat))
+    ppid=${stat[4]}; echo $ppid
+    puid=$(piduser $ppid )
+
+    if [[ ${puid} != $uid ]]; then
+        echo ${puid}
+    elif [[ $ppid != 1 ]]; then
+        parent-user ${ppid}
+    fi
+}