diff --git a/test/test-list.h b/test/test-list.h
index e43f0525..84782b2a 100644
--- a/test/test-list.h
+++ b/test/test-list.h
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@ TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_stdin)
 TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_and_kill)
 TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_and_kill_with_std)
 TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_and_ping)
+TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_setuid_fails)
+TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_setgid_fails)
 TEST_DECLARE   (kill)
 TEST_DECLARE   (fs_file_noent)
 TEST_DECLARE   (fs_file_nametoolong)
@@ -142,7 +144,7 @@ TEST_DECLARE   (fs_event_watch_file_current_dir)
 TEST_DECLARE   (fs_event_no_callback_on_close)
 TEST_DECLARE   (fs_event_immediate_close)
 TEST_DECLARE   (fs_event_close_with_pending_event)
-TEST_DECLARE   (fs_event_close_in_callback);
+TEST_DECLARE   (fs_event_close_in_callback)
 TEST_DECLARE   (fs_readdir_empty_dir)
 TEST_DECLARE   (fs_readdir_file)
 TEST_DECLARE   (fs_open_dir)
@@ -164,6 +166,8 @@ TEST_DECLARE   (environment_creation)
 TEST_DECLARE   (listen_with_simultaneous_accepts)
 TEST_DECLARE   (listen_no_simultaneous_accepts)
 TEST_DECLARE   (fs_stat_root)
+#else
+TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_setuid_setgid)
 #endif
 HELPER_DECLARE (tcp4_echo_server)
 HELPER_DECLARE (tcp6_echo_server)
@@ -316,6 +320,8 @@ TASK_LIST_START
   TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_and_kill)
   TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_and_kill_with_std)
   TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_and_ping)
+  TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_setuid_fails)
+  TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_setgid_fails)
   TEST_ENTRY  (kill)
 #ifdef _WIN32
   TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_detect_pipe_name_collisions_on_windows)
@@ -324,6 +330,8 @@ TASK_LIST_START
   TEST_ENTRY  (listen_with_simultaneous_accepts)
   TEST_ENTRY  (listen_no_simultaneous_accepts)
   TEST_ENTRY  (fs_stat_root)
+#else
+  TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_setuid_setgid)
 #endif
 
   TEST_ENTRY  (fs_file_noent)
diff --git a/test/test-spawn.c b/test/test-spawn.c
index 2e1d2759..fbe92335 100644
--- a/test/test-spawn.c
+++ b/test/test-spawn.c
@@ -55,6 +55,22 @@ static void exit_cb(uv_process_t* process, int exit_status, int term_signal) {
 }
 
 
+static void exit_cb_failure_expected(uv_process_t* process, int exit_status,
+    int term_signal) {
+  printf("exit_cb\n");
+  exit_cb_called++;
+  ASSERT(exit_status == 127);
+  ASSERT(term_signal == 0);
+  uv_close((uv_handle_t*)process, close_cb);
+}
+
+
+static void exit_cb_unexpected(uv_process_t* process, int exit_status,
+    int term_signal) {
+  ASSERT(0 && "should not have been called");
+}
+
+
 static void kill_cb(uv_process_t* process, int exit_status, int term_signal) {
   uv_err_t err;
 
@@ -115,6 +131,7 @@ static void init_process_options(char* test, uv_exit_cb exit_cb) {
   options.file = exepath;
   options.args = args;
   options.exit_cb = exit_cb;
+  options.flags = 0;
 }
 
 
@@ -517,3 +534,145 @@ TEST_IMPL(environment_creation) {
   return 0;
 }
 #endif
+
+#ifndef _WIN32
+TEST_IMPL(spawn_setuid_setgid) {
+  int r;
+
+  /* if not root, then this will fail. */
+  uv_uid_t uid = getuid();
+  if (uid != 0) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "spawn_setuid_setgid skipped: not root\n");
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  init_process_options("spawn_helper1", exit_cb);
+
+  // become the "nobody" user.
+  struct passwd* pw;
+  pw = getpwnam("nobody");
+  ASSERT(pw != NULL);
+  options.uid = pw->pw_uid;
+  options.gid = pw->pw_gid;
+  options.flags = UV_PROCESS_SETUID | UV_PROCESS_SETGID;
+
+  r = uv_spawn(uv_default_loop(), &process, options);
+  ASSERT(r == 0);
+
+  r = uv_run(uv_default_loop());
+  ASSERT(r == 0);
+
+  ASSERT(exit_cb_called == 1);
+  ASSERT(close_cb_called == 1);
+
+  return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
+
+#ifndef _WIN32
+TEST_IMPL(spawn_setuid_fails) {
+  int r;
+
+  /* if root, become nobody. */
+  uv_uid_t uid = getuid();
+  if (uid == 0) {
+    struct passwd* pw;
+    pw = getpwnam("nobody");
+    ASSERT(pw != NULL);
+    r = setuid(pw->pw_uid);
+    ASSERT(r == 0);
+  }
+
+  init_process_options("spawn_helper1", exit_cb_failure_expected);
+
+  options.flags |= UV_PROCESS_SETUID;
+  options.uid = (uv_uid_t) -42424242;
+
+  r = uv_spawn(uv_default_loop(), &process, options);
+  ASSERT(r == 0);
+
+  r = uv_run(uv_default_loop());
+  ASSERT(r == 0);
+
+  ASSERT(exit_cb_called == 1);
+  ASSERT(close_cb_called == 1);
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+
+TEST_IMPL(spawn_setgid_fails) {
+  int r;
+
+  /* if root, become nobody. */
+  uv_uid_t uid = getuid();
+  if (uid == 0) {
+    struct passwd* pw;
+    pw = getpwnam("nobody");
+    ASSERT(pw != NULL);
+    r = setuid(pw->pw_uid);
+    ASSERT(r == 0);
+  }
+
+  init_process_options("spawn_helper1", exit_cb_failure_expected);
+
+  options.flags |= UV_PROCESS_SETGID;
+  options.gid = (uv_gid_t) -42424242;
+
+  r = uv_spawn(uv_default_loop(), &process, options);
+  ASSERT(r == 0);
+
+  r = uv_run(uv_default_loop());
+  ASSERT(r == 0);
+
+  ASSERT(exit_cb_called == 1);
+  ASSERT(close_cb_called == 1);
+
+  return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
+
+#ifdef _WIN32
+TEST_IMPL(spawn_setuid_fails) {
+  int r;
+
+  init_process_options("spawn_helper1", exit_cb_unexpected);
+
+  options.flags |= UV_PROCESS_SETUID;
+  options.uid = (uv_uid_t) -42424242;
+
+  r = uv_spawn(uv_default_loop(), &process, options);
+  ASSERT(r == -1);
+  ASSERT(uv_last_error(uv_default_loop()).code == UV_ENOTSUP);
+
+  r = uv_run(uv_default_loop());
+  ASSERT(r == 0);
+
+  ASSERT(close_cb_called == 0);
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+
+TEST_IMPL(spawn_setgid_fails) {
+  int r;
+
+  init_process_options("spawn_helper1", exit_cb_unexpected);
+
+  options.flags |= UV_PROCESS_SETGID;
+  options.gid = (uv_gid_t) -42424242;
+
+  r = uv_spawn(uv_default_loop(), &process, options);
+  ASSERT(r == -1);
+  ASSERT(uv_last_error(uv_default_loop()).code == UV_ENOTSUP);
+
+  r = uv_run(uv_default_loop());
+  ASSERT(r == 0);
+
+  ASSERT(close_cb_called == 0);
+
+  return 0;
+}
+#endif