diff --git a/cfg/agentinfo/info.go b/cfg/agentinfo/info.go
index 05b0130e7c..1b0363263a 100644
--- a/cfg/agentinfo/info.go
+++ b/cfg/agentinfo/info.go
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ const versionFilename = "CWAGENT_VERSION"
 // We will fall back to a major version if no valid version file is found
 const fallbackVersion = "1"
 
+var isRunningAsRoot = func() bool {
+	return os.Getuid() == 0
+}
+
 var (
 	VersionStr    string
 	BuildStr      string = "No Build Date"
@@ -49,6 +53,11 @@ func Build() string {
 func Plugins() string {
 	outputs := strings.Join(OutputPlugins, " ")
 	inputs := strings.Join(InputPlugins, " ")
+
+	if !isRunningAsRoot() {
+		inputs += " run_as_user" // `inputs` is never empty, or agent will not start
+	}
+
 	return fmt.Sprintf("inputs:(%s) outputs:(%s)", inputs, outputs)
 }
 
diff --git a/cfg/agentinfo/info_test.go b/cfg/agentinfo/info_test.go
index d0a421efa5..3480e912d5 100644
--- a/cfg/agentinfo/info_test.go
+++ b/cfg/agentinfo/info_test.go
@@ -79,8 +79,16 @@ func TestPlugins(t *testing.T) {
 	InputPlugins = []string{"a", "b", "c"}
 	OutputPlugins = []string{"x", "y", "z"}
 
+	isRunningAsRoot = func() bool { return true }
 	plugins := Plugins()
-	expected := "inputs:(a b c) outputs:(x y z)"
+	expected := fmt.Sprintf("inputs:(a b c) outputs:(x y z)")
+	if plugins != expected {
+		t.Errorf("wrong plugins string constructed '%v', expecting '%v'", plugins, expected)
+	}
+
+	isRunningAsRoot = func() bool { return false }
+	plugins = Plugins()
+	expected = fmt.Sprintf("inputs:(a b c run_as_user) outputs:(x y z)")
 	if plugins != expected {
 		t.Errorf("wrong plugins string constructed '%v', expecting '%v'", plugins, expected)
 	}
@@ -93,6 +101,8 @@ func TestUserAgent(t *testing.T) {
 	InputPlugins = []string{"a", "b", "c"}
 	OutputPlugins = []string{"x", "y", "z"}
 
+	isRunningAsRoot = func() bool { return true }
+
 	ua := UserAgent()
 	expected := fmt.Sprintf("CWAgent/VSTR (%v; %v; %v) BSTR inputs:(a b c) outputs:(x y z)", runtime.Version(), runtime.GOOS, runtime.GOARCH)
 	if ua != expected {