diff --git a/src/main-utils.c b/src/main-utils.c
index f6a2a60e9e..c4d0eeb902 100644
--- a/src/main-utils.c
+++ b/src/main-utils.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include "gsystem-local-alloc.h"
 #include "main-utils.h"
 #include "nm-posix-signals.h"
+#include "NetworkManagerUtils.h"
 #include "nm-logging.h"
 
 static sigset_t signal_set;
@@ -216,6 +217,15 @@ nm_main_utils_ensure_not_running_pidfile (const char *pidfile)
 	}
 }
 
+void
+nm_main_utils_ensure_root ()
+{
+	if (getuid () != 0) {
+		fprintf (stderr, _("You must be root to run %s!\n"), str_if_set (g_get_prgname (), ""));
+		exit (1);
+	}
+}
+
 gboolean
 nm_main_utils_early_setup (const char *progname,
                            int *argc,
@@ -248,11 +258,6 @@ nm_main_utils_early_setup (const char *progname,
 	setlocale (LC_ALL, "");
 	textdomain (GETTEXT_PACKAGE);
 
-	if (getuid () != 0) {
-		fprintf (stderr, _("You must be root to run %s!\n"), progname);
-		exit (1);
-	}
-
 	for (i = 0; options[i].long_name; i++) {
 		if (!strcmp (options[i].long_name, "log-level")) {
 			opt_fmt_log_level = options[i].description;
diff --git a/src/main-utils.h b/src/main-utils.h
index 3d64535768..1fceb35006 100644
--- a/src/main-utils.h
+++ b/src/main-utils.h
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 
 #include <glib.h>
 
+void     nm_main_utils_ensure_root (void);
+
 gboolean nm_main_utils_setup_signals (GMainLoop *main_loop, gboolean *quit_early_ptr);
 
 void     nm_main_utils_ensure_rundir (void);
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 189ee75f28..1c18306b9e 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -277,6 +277,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		exit (0);
 	}
 
+	nm_main_utils_ensure_root ();
+
 	if (!nm_logging_setup (global_opt.opt_log_level,
 	                       global_opt.opt_log_domains,
 	                       &bad_domains,
diff --git a/src/nm-iface-helper.c b/src/nm-iface-helper.c
index 802b50a241..fdcb8c9676 100644
--- a/src/nm-iface-helper.c
+++ b/src/nm-iface-helper.c
@@ -370,6 +370,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		exit (0);
 	}
 
+	nm_main_utils_ensure_root ();
+
 	if (!global_opt.ifname || !global_opt.uuid) {
 		fprintf (stderr, _("An interface name and UUID are required\n"));
 		exit (1);