diff --git a/api/src/Vfs.php b/api/src/Vfs.php
index 2004bcbbac..4397ca03e7 100644
--- a/api/src/Vfs.php
+++ b/api/src/Vfs.php
@@ -393,11 +393,11 @@ class Vfs extends Vfs\Base
 		}
 
 		// make all find options available as stream context option "find", to allow plugins to use them
-		$context = stream_context_create(array_merge_recursive(stream_context_get_options(stream_context_get_default()), [
+		$context = stream_context_create([
 			self::SCHEME => [
 				'find' => $options,
 			],
-		]));
+		]);
 
 		$url = $options['url'];
 
diff --git a/api/src/Vfs/UserContextTrait.php b/api/src/Vfs/UserContextTrait.php
index fb9c001320..3a44c94ef6 100644
--- a/api/src/Vfs/UserContextTrait.php
+++ b/api/src/Vfs/UserContextTrait.php
@@ -48,8 +48,13 @@ trait UserContextTrait
 			{
 				$this->context = stream_context_get_default();
 			}
+			// if context set by PHP contains no user, set user from our default context (Vfs::$user)
+			elseif (empty(stream_context_get_options($this->context)[Vfs::SCHEME]['user']))
+			{
+				stream_context_set_option($this->context, stream_context_get_options(stream_context_get_default()));
+			}
 
-			if(is_string($url_or_context))
+			if (is_string($url_or_context))
 			{
 				$this->check_set_context($url_or_context, true);
 			}
@@ -167,7 +172,7 @@ trait UserContextTrait
 		switch($name)
 		{
 			case 'user':
-				return $this->context ? stream_context_get_options($this->context)[Vfs::SCHEME]['user'] : null;
+				return $this->context ? stream_context_get_options($this->context)[Vfs::SCHEME]['user'] : Vfs::$user;
 		}
 		return null;
 	}