diff --git a/common/build_common.sh b/common/build_common.sh
index bdc3219bb..03d3a88e6 100755
--- a/common/build_common.sh
+++ b/common/build_common.sh
@@ -6,9 +6,18 @@ MVN=$1
 VERSION=$2
 BRANCH=$3
 
+check_user() {
+    ME=$1
+    if [ "${ME}" != "zuul" ]; then
+       echo "\nERROR: Download monasca-common and do a mvn install to install the monasca-commom jars\n" 1>&2
+       exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
 BUILD_COMMON=false
 POM_FILE=~/.m2/repository/monasca-common/monasca-common/${VERSION}/monasca-common-${VERSION}.pom
 if [ ! -r "${POM_FILE}" ]; then
+    check_user "${ME}"
     BUILD_COMMON=true
 fi