diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 4a7b775a..628362d2 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 # https://docs.travis-ci.com/
 language: cpp
 
+sudo: required
+
 addons:
   apt:
     sources:
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 21e5867a..eac914cf 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -446,8 +446,12 @@ if ANDROID_HOST
 LOG_DRIVER = $(top_srcdir)/android/test-driver
 else
 # The default Autotools test driver script.
+if TESTS_AS_ROOT
+LOG_DRIVER = $(top_srcdir)/autotools/root-test-driver $(top_srcdir)/autotools/test-driver
+else
 LOG_DRIVER = $(top_srcdir)/autotools/test-driver
-endif
+endif !TESTS_AS_ROOT
+endif !ANDROID_HOST
 
 if LINUX_HOST
 src_client_linux_linux_dumper_unittest_helper_SOURCES = \
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index e53104b1..2bb6b406 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -2291,8 +2291,9 @@ CLEANFILES = $(am__append_12)
 @DISABLE_PROCESSOR_FALSE@	src/processor/minidump_stackwalk_machine_readable_test
 
 TESTS = $(check_PROGRAMS) $(check_SCRIPTS)
+@ANDROID_HOST_FALSE@@TESTS_AS_ROOT_FALSE@LOG_DRIVER = $(top_srcdir)/autotools/test-driver
 # The default Autotools test driver script.
-@ANDROID_HOST_FALSE@LOG_DRIVER = $(top_srcdir)/autotools/test-driver
+@ANDROID_HOST_FALSE@@TESTS_AS_ROOT_TRUE@LOG_DRIVER = $(top_srcdir)/autotools/root-test-driver $(top_srcdir)/autotools/test-driver
 
 # Since Autotools 1.2, tests are run through a special "test driver" script.
 # Unfortunately, it's not possible anymore to specify an alternative shell to
diff --git a/autotools/root-test-driver b/autotools/root-test-driver
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..66bf7ebb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/autotools/root-test-driver
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# -E to keep the environment variables needed to run the tests.
+exec sudo -E "$@"
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 5e94512c..e0187ddc 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -626,6 +626,8 @@ ac_subst_vars='am__EXEEXT_FALSE
 am__EXEEXT_TRUE
 LTLIBOBJS
 LIBOBJS
+TESTS_AS_ROOT_FALSE
+TESTS_AS_ROOT_TRUE
 RUST_DEMANGLE_LIBS
 RUST_DEMANGLE_CFLAGS
 SELFTEST_FALSE
@@ -777,6 +779,7 @@ enable_tools
 enable_system_test_libs
 enable_selftest
 with_rust_demangle
+with_tests_as_root
 '
       ac_precious_vars='build_alias
 host_alias
@@ -1444,6 +1447,9 @@ Optional Packages:
                           Link against the rust-demangle library to demangle
                           Rust language symbols during symbol dumping (default
                           is no) Pass the path to the crate root.
+  --with-tests-as-root    Run the tests as root. Use this on platforms like
+                          travis-ci.org that require root privileges to use
+                          ptrace (default is no)
 
 Some influential environment variables:
   CC          C compiler command
@@ -7870,6 +7876,33 @@ fi
 
 
 
+
+# Check whether --with-tests-as-root was given.
+if test "${with_tests_as_root+set}" = set; then :
+  withval=$with_tests_as_root; case "${withval}" in
+               yes)
+                 tests_as_root=true
+                 ;;
+               no)
+                 tests_as_root=false
+                 ;;
+               *)
+                 as_fn_error $? "--with-tests-as-root can only be \"yes\" or \"no\"" "$LINENO" 5
+                 ;;
+             esac
+else
+  tests_as_root=false
+fi
+
+ if test x$tests_as_root = xtrue; then
+  TESTS_AS_ROOT_TRUE=
+  TESTS_AS_ROOT_FALSE='#'
+else
+  TESTS_AS_ROOT_TRUE='#'
+  TESTS_AS_ROOT_FALSE=
+fi
+
+
 ac_config_files="$ac_config_files breakpad.pc breakpad-client.pc Makefile"
 
 
@@ -8049,6 +8082,10 @@ if test -z "${SELFTEST_TRUE}" && test -z "${SELFTEST_FALSE}"; then
   as_fn_error $? "conditional \"SELFTEST\" was never defined.
 Usually this means the macro was only invoked conditionally." "$LINENO" 5
 fi
+if test -z "${TESTS_AS_ROOT_TRUE}" && test -z "${TESTS_AS_ROOT_FALSE}"; then
+  as_fn_error $? "conditional \"TESTS_AS_ROOT\" was never defined.
+Usually this means the macro was only invoked conditionally." "$LINENO" 5
+fi
 
 : "${CONFIG_STATUS=./config.status}"
 ac_write_fail=0
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ec194ddd..9cca5aa0 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -246,6 +246,25 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(rust-demangle,
 AC_ARG_VAR([RUST_DEMANGLE_CFLAGS], [Compiler flags for rust-demangle])
 AC_ARG_VAR([RUST_DEMANGLE_LIBS], [Linker flags for rust-demangle])
 
+AC_ARG_WITH(tests-as-root,
+            AS_HELP_STRING([--with-tests-as-root],
+                           [Run the tests as root. Use this on platforms]
+                           [like travis-ci.org that require root privileges]
+                           [to use ptrace (default is no)]),
+            [case "${withval}" in
+               yes)
+                 tests_as_root=true
+                 ;;
+               no)
+                 tests_as_root=false
+                 ;;
+               *)
+                 AC_MSG_ERROR(--with-tests-as-root can only be "yes" or "no")
+                 ;;
+             esac],
+            [tests_as_root=false])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(TESTS_AS_ROOT, test x$tests_as_root = xtrue)
+
 AC_CONFIG_FILES(m4_flatten([
   breakpad.pc
   breakpad-client.pc
diff --git a/scripts/travis-build.sh b/scripts/travis-build.sh
index a5f7ad56..1d1beb3d 100755
--- a/scripts/travis-build.sh
+++ b/scripts/travis-build.sh
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ coverity_scan() {
 
 # Do an in-tree build and make sure tests pass.
 build() {
-  ./configure
+  ./configure --with-tests-as-root
   make -j${JOBS} check VERBOSE=1
   make distclean
 }
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ build() {
 build_out_of_tree() {
   mkdir -p build/native
   pushd build/native >/dev/null
-  ../../configure
+  ../../configure --with-tests-as-root
   make -j${JOBS} distcheck VERBOSE=1
   popd >/dev/null
 }