diff --git a/src/rc/builtins.h b/src/rc/builtins.h
index e87e1ca4..c8d0958d 100644
--- a/src/rc/builtins.h
+++ b/src/rc/builtins.h
@@ -42,4 +42,4 @@ void run_applets(int, char **);
 RC_DEPTREE *_rc_deptree_load (int *);
 
 /* Test to see if we can see pid 1 or not */
-bool _rc_findpid1(void);
+bool _rc_can_find_pids(void);
diff --git a/src/rc/rc-status.c b/src/rc/rc-status.c
index ef58a147..1e0ef38c 100644
--- a/src/rc/rc-status.c
+++ b/src/rc/rc-status.c
@@ -44,13 +44,16 @@ extern const char *applet;
 static bool test_crashed = false;
 static const char *const types_nua[] = { "ineed", "iuse", "iafter", NULL };
 
-bool _rc_findpid1(void)
+bool _rc_can_find_pids(void)
 {
 	RC_PIDLIST *pids;
 	RC_PID *pid;
 	RC_PID *pid2;
 	bool retval = false;
 
+	if (geteuid() == 0)
+		return true;
+
 	/* If we cannot see process 1, then we don't test to see if
 	 * services crashed or not */
 	pids = rc_find_pids(NULL, NULL, 0, 1);
@@ -151,7 +154,7 @@ int rc_status(int argc, char **argv)
 	int opt;
 	int depopts = RC_DEP_STRICT | RC_DEP_START | RC_DEP_TRACE;
 
-	test_crashed = _rc_findpid1();
+	test_crashed = _rc_can_find_pids();
 
 	while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, getoptstring, longopts,
 				  (int *) 0)) != -1)
diff --git a/src/rc/runscript.c b/src/rc/runscript.c
index 9263cea1..d4500044 100644
--- a/src/rc/runscript.c
+++ b/src/rc/runscript.c
@@ -559,8 +559,10 @@ static RC_SERVICE svc_status(void)
 		snprintf(status, sizeof(status), "inactive");
 		e = &ewarn;
 	} else if (state & RC_SERVICE_STARTED) {
-		if (_rc_findpid1() && rc_service_daemons_crashed(service)) {
-			snprintf(status, sizeof (status), "crashed");
+		if (_rc_can_find_pids() &&
+		    rc_service_daemons_crashed(service))
+		{
+			snprintf(status, sizeof(status), "crashed");
 			e = &eerror;
 		} else
 			snprintf(status, sizeof(status), "started");