diff --git a/sbin/hastctl/hastctl.c b/sbin/hastctl/hastctl.c
index 67ee76153252..21b121721fc8 100644
--- a/sbin/hastctl/hastctl.c
+++ b/sbin/hastctl/hastctl.c
@@ -480,9 +480,8 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		    cfg->hc_controladdr);
 	}
 
-	if (drop_privs() != 0)
+	if (drop_privs(true) != 0)
 		exit(EX_CONFIG);
-	pjdlog_debug(1, "Privileges successfully dropped.");
 
 	/* Send the command to the server... */
 	if (hast_proto_send(NULL, controlconn, nv, NULL, 0) < 0) {
diff --git a/sbin/hastd/primary.c b/sbin/hastd/primary.c
index 6b219f866610..73f8f6536c38 100644
--- a/sbin/hastd/primary.c
+++ b/sbin/hastd/primary.c
@@ -874,7 +874,7 @@ hastd_primary(struct hast_resource *res)
 	init_ggate(res);
 	init_environment(res);
 
-	if (drop_privs() != 0) {
+	if (drop_privs(true) != 0) {
 		cleanup(res);
 		exit(EX_CONFIG);
 	}
diff --git a/sbin/hastd/secondary.c b/sbin/hastd/secondary.c
index bfd999249e88..cdcab0af9a52 100644
--- a/sbin/hastd/secondary.c
+++ b/sbin/hastd/secondary.c
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ hastd_secondary(struct hast_resource *res, struct nv *nvin)
 	init_local(res);
 	init_environment();
 
-	if (drop_privs() != 0)
+	if (drop_privs(true) != 0)
 		exit(EX_CONFIG);
 	pjdlog_info("Privileges successfully dropped.");
 
diff --git a/sbin/hastd/subr.c b/sbin/hastd/subr.c
index 213dcd27b869..aa6e5d9a8b08 100644
--- a/sbin/hastd/subr.c
+++ b/sbin/hastd/subr.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <sys/cdefs.h>
 __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 
+#include <sys/capability.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/disk.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <pwd.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
@@ -144,13 +146,22 @@ role2str(int role)
 }
 
 int
-drop_privs(void)
+drop_privs(bool usecapsicum)
 {
 	struct passwd *pw;
 	uid_t ruid, euid, suid;
 	gid_t rgid, egid, sgid;
 	gid_t gidset[1];
 
+	if (usecapsicum) {
+		if (cap_enter() == 0) {
+			pjdlog_debug(1,
+			    "Privileges successfully dropped using capsicum.");
+			return (0);
+		}
+		pjdlog_errno(LOG_WARNING, "Unable to sandbox using capsicum");
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * According to getpwnam(3) we have to clear errno before calling the
 	 * function to be able to distinguish between an error and missing
@@ -208,5 +219,8 @@ drop_privs(void)
 	PJDLOG_VERIFY(getgroups(1, gidset) == 1);
 	PJDLOG_VERIFY(gidset[0] == pw->pw_gid);
 
+	pjdlog_debug(1,
+	    "Privileges successfully dropped using chroot+setgid+setuid.");
+
 	return (0);
 }
diff --git a/sbin/hastd/subr.h b/sbin/hastd/subr.h
index 0b9b55557af1..179fd0016a48 100644
--- a/sbin/hastd/subr.h
+++ b/sbin/hastd/subr.h
@@ -50,6 +50,6 @@ int snprlcat(char *str, size_t size, const char *fmt, ...);
 
 int provinfo(struct hast_resource *res, bool dowrite);
 const char *role2str(int role);
-int drop_privs(void);
+int drop_privs(bool usecapsicum);
 
 #endif	/* !_SUBR_H_ */