diff --git a/runner/go.mod b/runner/go.mod
index 260fb880a..f338e78ed 100644
--- a/runner/go.mod
+++ b/runner/go.mod
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/urfave/cli/v3 v3.6.1
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.22.0
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.26.0
+	kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/security/libcap/cap v1.2.77
 )
 
 require (
@@ -84,4 +85,5 @@ require (
 	gopkg.in/warnings.v0 v0.1.2 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 // indirect
 	gotest.tools/v3 v3.5.1 // indirect
+	kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/security/libcap/psx v1.2.77 // indirect
 )
diff --git a/runner/go.sum b/runner/go.sum
index 20c4568f9..655ea59dc 100644
--- a/runner/go.sum
+++ b/runner/go.sum
@@ -321,3 +321,7 @@ gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
 gotest.tools/v3 v3.5.1 h1:EENdUnS3pdur5nybKYIh2Vfgc8IUNBjxDPSjtiJcOzU=
 gotest.tools/v3 v3.5.1/go.mod h1:isy3WKz7GK6uNw/sbHzfKBLvlvXwUyV06n6brMxxopU=
+kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/security/libcap/cap v1.2.77 h1:iQtQTjFUOcTT19fI8sTCzYXsjeVs56et3D8AbKS2Uks=
+kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/security/libcap/cap v1.2.77/go.mod h1:oV+IO8kGh0B7TxErbydDe2+BRmi9g/W0CkpVV+QBTJU=
+kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/security/libcap/psx v1.2.77 h1:Z06sMOzc0GNCwp6efaVrIrz4ywGJ1v+DP0pjVkOfDuA=
+kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/security/libcap/psx v1.2.77/go.mod h1:+l6Ee2F59XiJ2I6WR5ObpC1utCQJZ/VLsEbQCD8RG24=
diff --git a/runner/internal/executor/executor.go b/runner/internal/executor/executor.go
index ea2ef6393..85a59408f 100644
--- a/runner/internal/executor/executor.go
+++ b/runner/internal/executor/executor.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/dstackai/dstack/runner/consts"
 	"github.com/dstackai/dstack/runner/internal/common"
 	"github.com/dstackai/dstack/runner/internal/connections"
+	cap "github.com/dstackai/dstack/runner/internal/linux/capabilities"
 	linuxuser "github.com/dstackai/dstack/runner/internal/linux/user"
 	"github.com/dstackai/dstack/runner/internal/log"
 	"github.com/dstackai/dstack/runner/internal/schemas"
@@ -467,10 +468,19 @@ func (ex *RunExecutor) execJob(ctx context.Context, jobLogFile io.Writer) error
 	}
 	cmd.Dir = ex.jobWorkingDir
 
-	// Strictly speaking, we need CAP_SETUID and CAP_GUID (for Cmd.Start()->
-	// Cmd.SysProcAttr.Credential) and CAP_CHOWN (for startCommand()->os.Chown()),
-	// but for the sake of simplicity we instead check if we are root or not
-	if ex.currentUser.IsRoot() {
+	// CAP_SET{UID,GID} for startCommand() -> Cmd.Start() -> set{uid,gid,groups} syscalls during fork-exec
+	// CAP_CHOWN for startCommand() -> os.Chown(pts.Name())
+	if missing, err := cap.Check(cap.SETUID, cap.SETGID, cap.CHOWN); err != nil {
+		log.Error(
+			ctx, "Failed to check capabilities, won't try to set process credentials",
+			"err", err, "user", ex.currentUser,
+		)
+	} else if len(missing) > 0 {
+		log.Info(
+			ctx, "Required capabilities are missing, cannot set process credentials",
+			"missing", missing, "user", ex.currentUser,
+		)
+	} else {
 		log.Trace(ctx, "Using credentials", "user", ex.jobUser)
 		if cmd.SysProcAttr == nil {
 			cmd.SysProcAttr = &syscall.SysProcAttr{}
@@ -480,8 +490,6 @@ func (ex *RunExecutor) execJob(ctx context.Context, jobLogFile io.Writer) error
 			return fmt.Errorf("prepare process credentials: %w", err)
 		}
 		cmd.SysProcAttr.Credential = creds
-	} else {
-		log.Info(ctx, "Current user is not root, cannot set process credentials", "user", ex.currentUser)
 	}
 
 	envMap := NewEnvMap(ParseEnvList(os.Environ()), jobEnvs, ex.secrets)
@@ -509,11 +517,15 @@ func (ex *RunExecutor) execJob(ctx context.Context, jobLogFile io.Writer) error
 	// Note: we already set RLIMIT_MEMLOCK to unlimited in the shim if we've detected IB devices
 	// (see configureHpcNetworkingIfAvailable() function), but, as it's on the shim side, it only works
 	// with VM-based backends.
-	rlimitMemlock := unix.Rlimit{Cur: unix.RLIM_INFINITY, Max: unix.RLIM_INFINITY}
-	// TODO: Check if we have CAP_SYS_RESOURCE. In container environments, even root usually doesn't have
-	// this capability.
-	if err := unix.Setrlimit(unix.RLIMIT_MEMLOCK, &rlimitMemlock); err != nil {
-		log.Error(ctx, "Failed to set resource limits", "err", err)
+	if ok, err := cap.Has(cap.SYS_RESOURCE); err != nil {
+		log.Error(ctx, "Failed to check capabilities, won't try to set resource limits", "err", err)
+	} else if !ok {
+		log.Info(ctx, "Required capability is missing, cannot set resource limits", "missing", cap.SYS_RESOURCE)
+	} else {
+		rlimitMemlock := unix.Rlimit{Cur: unix.RLIM_INFINITY, Max: unix.RLIM_INFINITY}
+		if err := unix.Setrlimit(unix.RLIMIT_MEMLOCK, &rlimitMemlock); err != nil {
+			log.Error(ctx, "Failed to set resource limits", "err", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	// HOME must be added after writeDstackProfile to avoid overriding the correct per-user value set by sshd
diff --git a/runner/internal/linux/capabilities/capabilities_darwin.go b/runner/internal/linux/capabilities/capabilities_darwin.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a60f94af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runner/internal/linux/capabilities/capabilities_darwin.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+//go:build darwin
+
+package capabilities
+
+import "errors"
+
+type Capability string
+
+const (
+	SETUID       = Capability("SETUID")
+	SETGID       = Capability("SETGID")
+	CHOWN        = Capability("CHOWN")
+	SYS_RESOURCE = Capability("SYS_RESOURCE")
+)
+
+func Has(c Capability) (bool, error) {
+	return false, errors.New("not supported")
+}
+
+func Check(cs ...Capability) (missing []Capability, err error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("not supported")
+}
diff --git a/runner/internal/linux/capabilities/capabilities_linux.go b/runner/internal/linux/capabilities/capabilities_linux.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c27e887a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runner/internal/linux/capabilities/capabilities_linux.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+//go:build linux
+
+package capabilities
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+
+	"kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/security/libcap/cap"
+)
+
+type Capability cap.Value
+
+const (
+	SETUID       = Capability(cap.SETUID)
+	SETGID       = Capability(cap.SETGID)
+	CHOWN        = Capability(cap.CHOWN)
+	SYS_RESOURCE = Capability(cap.SYS_RESOURCE)
+)
+
+// String returns a text representation of the capability in the form used by container folks:
+// UPPER_CASE, no CAP_ prefix: cap_sys_admin -> SYS_ADMIN
+func (c Capability) String() string {
+	return strings.ToUpper(cap.Value(c).String()[4:])
+}
+
+// Has returns true if the current process has the specified capability in its effective set
+func Has(c Capability) (bool, error) {
+	set, err := cap.GetPID(0)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	return set.GetFlag(cap.Effective, cap.Value(c))
+}
+
+// Check checks and returns those capabilities that are _missing_ from the effective set
+// of the current process
+func Check(cs ...Capability) (missing []Capability, err error) {
+	set, err := cap.GetPID(0)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	for _, c := range cs {
+		ok, err := set.GetFlag(cap.Effective, cap.Value(c))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		if !ok {
+			missing = append(missing, c)
+		}
+	}
+	return missing, nil
+}