diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index eb01f75..d448f6b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ Other changes
 
 | Version        | Date           | Comment  |
 | -------------- | -------------- | -------- |
+| 3.42.2         | 2018-07-03     | `users()` optimized results if lack of permissions |
 | 3.42.1         | 2018-07-03     | `versions()` bugfix git version macOS |
 | 3.42.0         | 2018-06-01     | `processes()` added parent process PID |
 | 3.41.4         | 2018-05-28     | windows exec WMIC in try catch |
diff --git a/lib/users.js b/lib/users.js
index 43fabc8..55e31c4 100644
--- a/lib/users.js
+++ b/lib/users.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ const opts = {
 // --------------------------
 // array of users online = sessions
 
-function parseUsersLinux(lines) {
+function parseUsersLinux(lines, phase) {
   let result = [];
   let result_who = [];
   let result_w = {};
@@ -88,7 +88,11 @@ function parseUsersLinux(lines) {
       }
     }
   });
-  return result;
+  if (result.length === 0 && phase === 2) {
+    return result_who;
+  } else {
+    return result;
+  }
 }
 
 function parseUsersDarwin(lines) {
@@ -189,13 +193,13 @@ function users(callback) {
           if (!error) {
             // lines / split
             let lines = stdout.toString().split('\n');
-            result = parseUsersLinux(lines);
+            result = parseUsersLinux(lines, 1);
             if (result.length === 0) {
               exec('who; echo "---"; w | tail -n +2', function (error, stdout) {
                 if (!error) {
                   // lines / split
                   lines = stdout.toString().split('\n');
-                  result = parseUsersLinux(lines);
+                  result = parseUsersLinux(lines, 2);
                 }
                 if (callback) { callback(result); }
                 resolve(result);