diff --git a/sbin/ping/ping.c b/sbin/ping/ping.c
index de19a4575d02..dfd1c2a35ff4 100644
--- a/sbin/ping/ping.c
+++ b/sbin/ping/ping.c
@@ -154,13 +154,26 @@ main(argc, argv)
 	struct protoent *proto;
 	struct termios ts;
 	register int i;
-	int ch, fdmask, hold, packlen, preload;
+	int ch, fdmask, hold, packlen, preload, sockerrno;
 	u_char *datap, *packet;
 	char *target, hnamebuf[MAXHOSTNAMELEN], *malloc();
 #ifdef IP_OPTIONS
 	char rspace[3 + 4 * NROUTES + 1];	/* record route space */
 #endif
 
+	/*
+	 * Do the stuff that we need root priv's for *first*, and
+	 * then drop our setuid bit.  Save error reporting for
+	 * after arg parsing.
+	 */
+	proto = getprotobyname("icmp");
+	if (proto) {
+		s = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_RAW, proto->p_proto);
+		sockerrno = errno;
+	}
+
+	setuid(getuid());
+
 	preload = 0;
 	if (tcgetattr (0, &ts) != -1) {
 		reset_kerninfo = !(ts.c_lflag & NOKERNINFO);
@@ -288,11 +301,12 @@ main(argc, argv)
 
 	ident = getpid() & 0xFFFF;
 
-	if (!(proto = getprotobyname("icmp"))) {
+	if (!proto) {
 		(void)fprintf(stderr, "ping: unknown protocol icmp.\n");
 		exit(1);
 	}
-	if ((s = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_RAW, proto->p_proto)) < 0) {
+	if (s < 0) {
+		errno = sockerrno;
 		perror("ping: socket");
 		exit(1);
 	}
diff --git a/usr.sbin/traceroute/traceroute.c b/usr.sbin/traceroute/traceroute.c
index 652f503200b4..ccdc7fdf11ed 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/traceroute/traceroute.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/traceroute/traceroute.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef lint
 static char *rcsid =
-    "@(#)$Header: traceroute.c,v 1.27 95/10/18 00:17:06 leres Exp $ (LBL)";
+    "@(#)$Header: /home/ncvs/src/usr.sbin/traceroute/traceroute.c,v 1.5 1996/03/13 08:04:29 pst Exp $ (LBL)";
 #endif
 
 /*
@@ -294,6 +294,20 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	int lsrr = 0;
 	u_long gw;
 	u_char optlist[MAX_IPOPTLEN], *oix;
+	int sockerrno;
+
+	/*
+	 * Do the setuid-required stuff first, then lose priveleges ASAP.
+	 * Do error checking for these two calls where they appeared in
+	 * the original code.
+	 */
+	pe = getprotobyname("icmp");
+	if (pe) {
+		s = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_RAW, pe->p_proto);
+		sockerrno = errno;
+	}
+
+	setuid(getuid());
 
 	oix = optlist;
 	bzero(optlist, sizeof(optlist));
@@ -446,11 +460,12 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	ident = (getpid() & 0xffff) | 0x8000;
 
-	if ((pe = getprotobyname("icmp")) == NULL) {
+	if (pe == NULL) {
 		Fprintf(stderr, "icmp: unknown protocol\n");
 		exit(10);
 	}
-	if ((s = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_RAW, pe->p_proto)) < 0) {
+	if (s < 0) {
+		errno = sockerrno;
 		perror("traceroute: icmp socket");
 		exit(5);
 	}