diff --git a/src/nm-manager-auth.c b/src/nm-manager-auth.c
index fa621a7b5..8d9d83271 100644
--- a/src/nm-manager-auth.c
+++ b/src/nm-manager-auth.c
@@ -264,3 +264,55 @@ nm_auth_chain_unref (NMAuthChain *self)
 	g_free (self);
 }
 
+/************ utils **************/
+
+gboolean
+nm_auth_is_caller_root (DBusGMethodInvocation *context,
+                        NMDBusManager *dbus_mgr,
+                        gboolean *out_is_root,
+                        const char **out_error_desc)
+{
+	DBusConnection *connection;
+	char *sender = NULL;
+	gulong sender_uid = G_MAXULONG;
+	gboolean success = FALSE;
+	DBusError dbus_error;
+
+	g_return_val_if_fail (context != NULL, FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (dbus_mgr != NULL, FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (out_is_root != NULL, FALSE);
+
+	*out_is_root = FALSE;
+
+	sender = dbus_g_method_get_sender (context);
+	if (!sender) {
+		if (out_error_desc)
+			*out_error_desc = "Could not determine D-Bus requestor";
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	connection = nm_dbus_manager_get_dbus_connection (dbus_mgr);
+	if (!connection) {
+		if (out_error_desc)
+			*out_error_desc = "Could not get the D-Bus system bus";
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	dbus_error_init (&dbus_error);
+	/* FIXME: do this async */
+	sender_uid = dbus_bus_get_unix_user (connection, sender, &dbus_error);
+	if (dbus_error_is_set (&dbus_error)) {
+		if (out_error_desc)
+			*out_error_desc = "Could not determine the Unix user ID of the requestor";
+		dbus_error_free (&dbus_error);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	success = TRUE;
+	if (0 == sender_uid)
+		*out_is_root = TRUE;
+
+out:
+	return success;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/nm-manager-auth.h b/src/nm-manager-auth.h
index faafbdbd2..433f10fea 100644
--- a/src/nm-manager-auth.h
+++ b/src/nm-manager-auth.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <dbus/dbus-glib.h>
 
+#include "nm-dbus-manager.h"
+
 #define NM_AUTH_PERMISSION_ENABLE_DISABLE_NETWORK "org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.enable-disable-network"
 #define NM_AUTH_PERMISSION_SLEEP_WAKE             "org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.sleep-wake"
 #define NM_AUTH_PERMISSION_ENABLE_DISABLE_WIFI    "org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.enable-disable-wifi"
@@ -71,5 +73,11 @@ gboolean nm_auth_chain_add_call (NMAuthChain *chain,
 
 void nm_auth_chain_unref (NMAuthChain *chain);
 
+/* Utils */
+gboolean nm_auth_is_caller_root (DBusGMethodInvocation *context,
+                                 NMDBusManager *dbus_mgr,
+                                 gboolean *out_is_root,
+                                 const char **out_error_desc);
+
 #endif /* NM_MANAGER_AUTH_H */
 
diff --git a/src/nm-manager.c b/src/nm-manager.c
index 9bf7f4a87..171ea2625 100644
--- a/src/nm-manager.c
+++ b/src/nm-manager.c
@@ -2732,9 +2732,9 @@ do_sleep_wake (NMManager *self)
 }
 
 static gboolean
-return_permission_denied_error (PolkitAuthority *authority,
-                                const char *detail,
-                                DBusGMethodInvocation *context)
+return_no_pk_error (PolkitAuthority *authority,
+                    const char *detail,
+                    DBusGMethodInvocation *context)
 {
 	GError *error;
 
@@ -2825,7 +2825,9 @@ impl_manager_sleep (NMManager *self,
 {
 	NMManagerPrivate *priv;
 	NMAuthChain *chain;
-	GError *error;
+	GError *error = NULL;
+	gboolean is_root = FALSE;
+	const char *error_desc = NULL;
 
 	g_return_if_fail (NM_IS_MANAGER (self));
 
@@ -2840,7 +2842,23 @@ impl_manager_sleep (NMManager *self,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (!return_permission_denied_error (priv->authority, "Permission", context))
+	if (!nm_auth_is_caller_root (context, priv->dbus_mgr, &is_root, &error_desc)) {
+		error = g_error_new_literal (NM_MANAGER_ERROR,
+		                             NM_MANAGER_ERROR_PERMISSION_DENIED,
+		                             error_desc);
+		dbus_g_method_return_error (context, error);
+		g_error_free (error);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/* Root doesn't need PK authentication */
+	if (is_root) {
+		_internal_sleep (self, do_sleep);
+		dbus_g_method_return (context);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (!return_no_pk_error (priv->authority, "Permission", context))
 		return;
 
 	chain = nm_auth_chain_new (priv->authority,
@@ -2943,7 +2961,9 @@ impl_manager_enable (NMManager *self,
 {
 	NMManagerPrivate *priv;
 	NMAuthChain *chain;
-	GError *error;
+	GError *error = NULL;
+	gboolean is_root = FALSE;
+	const char *error_desc = NULL;
 
 	g_return_if_fail (NM_IS_MANAGER (self));
 
@@ -2958,7 +2978,23 @@ impl_manager_enable (NMManager *self,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (!return_permission_denied_error (priv->authority, "Permission", context))
+	if (!nm_auth_is_caller_root (context, priv->dbus_mgr, &is_root, &error_desc)) {
+		error = g_error_new_literal (NM_MANAGER_ERROR,
+		                             NM_MANAGER_ERROR_PERMISSION_DENIED,
+		                             error_desc);
+		dbus_g_method_return_error (context, error);
+		g_error_free (error);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/* Root doesn't need PK authentication */
+	if (is_root) {
+		_internal_enable (self, enable);
+		dbus_g_method_return (context);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (!return_no_pk_error (priv->authority, "Permission", context))
 		return;
 
 	chain = nm_auth_chain_new (priv->authority,