diff --git a/bgpd/Makefile.am b/bgpd/Makefile.am
index 7f739f6..0e549cc 100644
--- a/bgpd/Makefile.am
+++ b/bgpd/Makefile.am
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 bgpd_SOURCES = \
 	bgp_main.c $(libbgp_a_SOURCES)
 
-bgpd_LDADD = ../lib/libzebra.a
+bgpd_LDADD = ../lib/libzebra.a @LIBCAP@
 
 sysconf_DATA = bgpd.conf.sample bgpd.conf.sample2
 
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_main.c b/bgpd/bgp_main.c
index 7037791..3e1d80f 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_main.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_main.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "prefix.h"
 #include "log.h"
+#include "privs.h"
 
 #include "bgpd/bgpd.h"
 #include "bgpd/bgp_attr.h"
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@
   { "vty_port",    required_argument, NULL, 'P'},
   { "retain",      no_argument,       NULL, 'r'},
   { "no_kernel",   no_argument,       NULL, 'n'},
+  { "user",        required_argument, NULL, 'u'},
   { "version",     no_argument,       NULL, 'v'},
   { "help",        no_argument,       NULL, 'h'},
   { 0 }
@@ -70,6 +72,23 @@
 int vty_port = BGP_VTY_PORT;
 char *vty_addr = NULL;
 
+/* privileges */
+zebra_capabilities_t _caps_p [] =  
+{
+    ZCAP_BIND,
+};
+
+struct zebra_privs_t bgpd_privs =
+{
+#if defined(ZEBRA_USER) && defined(ZEBRA_GROUP)
+  .user = ZEBRA_USER,
+  .group = ZEBRA_GROUP,
+#endif
+  .caps_p = _caps_p,
+  .cap_num_p = sizeof(_caps_p)/sizeof(_caps_p[0]),
+  .cap_num_i = 0,
+};
+
 /* Help information display. */
 static void
 usage (char *progname, int status)
@@ -89,6 +108,7 @@
 -P, --vty_port     Set vty's port number\n\
 -r, --retain       When program terminates, retain added route by bgpd.\n\
 -n, --no_kernel    Do not install route to kernel.\n\
+-u, --user         User and group to run as\n\
 -v, --version      Print program version\n\
 -h, --help         Display this help and exit\n\
 \n\
@@ -197,7 +217,7 @@
   /* Command line argument treatment. */
   while (1) 
     {
-      opt = getopt_long (argc, argv, "df:hp:A:P:rnv", longopts, 0);
+      opt = getopt_long (argc, argv, "df:hp:A:P:rnu:v", longopts, 0);
     
       if (opt == EOF)
 	break;
@@ -238,6 +258,9 @@
 	case 'n':
 	  bgp_option_set (BGP_OPT_NO_FIB);
 	  break;
+  case 'u':
+    bgpd_privs.user = bgpd_privs.group = optarg;
+    break;
 	case 'v':
 	  print_version (progname);
 	  exit (0);
@@ -257,6 +280,7 @@
   /* Initializations. */
   srand (time (NULL));
   signal_init ();
+  zprivs_init (&bgpd_privs);
   cmd_init (1);
   vty_init ();
   memory_init ();
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_network.c b/bgpd/bgp_network.c
index 40e9cdb..019b78b 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_network.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_network.c
@@ -27,12 +27,16 @@
 #include "if.h"
 #include "prefix.h"
 #include "command.h"
+#include "privs.h"
 
 #include "bgpd/bgpd.h"
 #include "bgpd/bgp_fsm.h"
 #include "bgpd/bgp_attr.h"
 #include "bgpd/bgp_debug.h"
 #include "bgpd/bgp_network.h"
+
+extern struct zebra_privs_t bgpd_privs;
+
 
 /* Accept bgp connection. */
 static int
@@ -153,9 +157,16 @@
 #endif /* HAVE_SIN_LEN */
   memcpy (&local.sin_addr, addr, sizeof (struct in_addr));
 
+  if ( bgpd_privs.change (ZPRIVS_RAISE) )
+    zlog_err ("bgp_bind_address: could not raise privs");
+    
   ret = bind (sock, (struct sockaddr *)&local, sizeof (struct sockaddr_in));
   if (ret < 0)
     ;
+    
+  if (bgpd_privs.change (ZPRIVS_LOWER) )
+    zlog_err ("bgp_bind_address: could not lower privs");
+    
   return 0;
 }
 
@@ -306,6 +317,9 @@
 
       sockopt_reuseaddr (sock);
       sockopt_reuseport (sock);
+      
+      if (bgpd_privs.change (ZPRIVS_RAISE) )
+        zlog_err ("bgp_socket: could not raise privs");
 
       ret = bind (sock, ainfo->ai_addr, ainfo->ai_addrlen);
       if (ret < 0)
@@ -314,6 +328,10 @@
 	  close (sock);
 	  continue;
 	}
+      
+      if (bgpd_privs.change (ZPRIVS_LOWER) )
+        zlog_err ("bgp_bind_address: could not lower privs");
+        
       ret = listen (sock, 3);
       if (ret < 0) 
 	{
@@ -359,6 +377,9 @@
   sin.sin_len = socklen;
 #endif /* HAVE_SIN_LEN */
 
+  if ( bgpd_privs.change (ZPRIVS_RAISE) )
+    zlog_err ("bgp_socket: could not raise privs");
+
   ret = bind (sock, (struct sockaddr *) &sin, socklen);
   if (ret < 0)
     {
@@ -366,6 +387,10 @@
       close (sock);
       return ret;
     }
+  
+  if (bgpd_privs.change (ZPRIVS_LOWER) )
+    zlog_err ("bgp_socket: could not lower privs");
+    
   ret = listen (sock, 3);
   if (ret < 0) 
     {