diff --git a/test/common/autotest_common.sh b/test/common/autotest_common.sh
index 0f30d0280..53c054fb3 100644
--- a/test/common/autotest_common.sh
+++ b/test/common/autotest_common.sh
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ export RUN_NIGHTLY_FAILING
 : ${SPDK_RUN_ASAN=0}; export SPDK_RUN_ASAN
 : ${SPDK_RUN_UBSAN=0}; export SPDK_RUN_UBSAN
 : ${SPDK_RUN_INSTALLED_DPDK=0}; export SPDK_RUN_INSTALLED_DPDK
+: ${SPDK_RUN_NON_ROOT=0}; export SPDK_RUN_NON_ROOT
 : ${SPDK_TEST_CRYPTO=0}; export SPDK_TEST_CRYPTO
 : ${SPDK_TEST_FTL=0}; export SPDK_TEST_FTL
 : ${SPDK_TEST_BDEV_FTL=0}; export SPDK_TEST_BDEV_FTL
@@ -433,8 +434,19 @@ function killprocess() {
 	fi
 
 	if kill -0 $1; then
-		echo "killing process with pid $1"
-		kill $1
+		if [ "$(ps --no-headers -o comm= $1)" = "sudo" ]; then
+			# kill the child process, which is the actual app
+			# (assume $1 has just one child)
+			local child="$(pgrep -P $1)"
+			echo "killing process with pid $child"
+			kill $child
+		else
+			echo "killing process with pid $1"
+			kill $1
+		fi
+
+		# wait for the process regardless if its the dummy sudo one
+		# or the actual app - it should terminate anyway
 		wait $1
 	fi
 }
diff --git a/test/nvmf/common.sh b/test/nvmf/common.sh
index 164fa727f..f051cba7c 100644
--- a/test/nvmf/common.sh
+++ b/test/nvmf/common.sh
@@ -4,8 +4,17 @@ NVMF_IP_LEAST_ADDR=8
 NVMF_TCP_IP_ADDRESS="127.0.0.1"
 NVMF_TRANSPORT_OPTS=""
 
+function build_nvmf_app_args()
+{
+	if [ $SPDK_RUN_NON_ROOT -eq 1 ]; then
+		echo "sudo -u $(logname) ./app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt -i $NVMF_APP_SHM_ID -e 0xFFFF"
+	else
+		echo "./app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt -i $NVMF_APP_SHM_ID -e 0xFFFF"
+	fi
+}
+
 : ${NVMF_APP_SHM_ID="0"}; export NVMF_APP_SHM_ID
-: ${NVMF_APP="./app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_tgt -i $NVMF_APP_SHM_ID -e 0xFFFF"}; export NVMF_APP
+: ${NVMF_APP="$(build_nvmf_app_args)"}; export NVMF_APP
 
 have_pci_nics=0
 
diff --git a/test/nvmf/host/perf.sh b/test/nvmf/host/perf.sh
index 370ea57d2..f70f22a75 100755
--- a/test/nvmf/host/perf.sh
+++ b/test/nvmf/host/perf.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,12 @@ $rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_add_listener nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 -t $TEST_TRANSPOR
 
 # Test multi-process access to local NVMe device
 if [ -n "$local_nvme_trid" ]; then
-	$rootdir/examples/nvme/perf/perf -i $NVMF_APP_SHM_ID -q 32 -o 4096 -w randrw -M 50 -t 1 -r "$local_nvme_trid"
+	if [ $SPDK_RUN_NON_ROOT -eq 1 ]; then
+		perf_app="sudo -u $(logname) $rootdir/examples/nvme/perf/perf"
+	else
+		perf_app="$rootdir/examples/nvme/perf/perf"
+	fi
+	$perf_app -i $NVMF_APP_SHM_ID -q 32 -o 4096 -w randrw -M 50 -t 1 -r "$local_nvme_trid"
 fi
 
 $rootdir/examples/nvme/perf/perf -q 32 -o 4096 -w randrw -M 50 -t 1 -r "trtype:$TEST_TRANSPORT adrfam:IPv4 traddr:$NVMF_FIRST_TARGET_IP trsvcid:$NVMF_PORT"