diff --git a/internal/pkg/agent/cmd/container_init_linux.go b/internal/pkg/agent/cmd/container_init_linux.go
index f723a7af7c6..1cfeda095e4 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/agent/cmd/container_init_linux.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/agent/cmd/container_init_linux.go
@@ -162,12 +162,8 @@ func updateFileCapsFromBoundingSet(executablePath string) (updated bool, err err
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("failed to chown %s: %w", executablePath, err)
 	}
 
-	var fileSet interface {
-		SetFile(pathString string) error
-	}
-
 	// create a new set based on the capabilities of Bounding set
-	fileSet, err = cap.FromText(capsText)
+	fileSet, err := cap.FromText(capsText)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse caps text: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/pkg/agent/cmd/container_init_test.go b/internal/pkg/agent/cmd/container_init_test.go
index dcb1adcebd8..57c2b1b740a 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/agent/cmd/container_init_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/agent/cmd/container_init_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"syscall"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -26,12 +27,8 @@ func Test_chownPaths(t *testing.T) {
 	defer os.RemoveAll(secondParentDir)
 
 	childDir := filepath.Join(secondParentDir, "child")
-	err = os.MkdirAll(childDir, 0o777)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	childChildDir := filepath.Join(childDir, "child")
-	err = os.MkdirAll(childDir, 0o777)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	pathsToChown := distinctPaths{}
 	pathsToChown.addPath(childDir)
@@ -45,24 +42,80 @@ func Test_chownPaths(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
 
+func Test_updateFileCapsFromBoundingSet(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Geteuid() == 0 {
+		t.Skip("this test requires non-root user")
+		return
+	}
+
+	tmpDir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "test_chown")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+
+	executable := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "test_exec")
+
+	err = os.WriteFile(executable, []byte{}, 0o7777)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	updated, err := updateFileCapsFromBoundingSet(executable)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, syscall.EPERM)
+	require.False(t, updated)
+}
+
 func Test_getMissingBoundingCapsText(t *testing.T) {
 	tc := []struct {
-		name      string
-		fileCaps  []cap.Value
-		boundCaps []cap.Value
-		capsText  string
+		name         string
+		fileCaps     []cap.Value
+		fileCapsErr  error
+		boundCaps    []cap.Value
+		boundCapsErr error
+		capsText     string
+		expectedErr  error
 	}{
 		{
-			name:      "no missing caps",
-			fileCaps:  []cap.Value{cap.CHOWN, cap.SETPCAP},
-			boundCaps: []cap.Value{cap.CHOWN, cap.SETPCAP},
-			capsText:  "",
+			name:         "no missing caps",
+			fileCaps:     []cap.Value{cap.CHOWN, cap.SETPCAP},
+			fileCapsErr:  nil,
+			boundCaps:    []cap.Value{cap.CHOWN, cap.SETPCAP},
+			boundCapsErr: nil,
+			capsText:     "",
+			expectedErr:  nil,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "missing caps",
+			fileCaps:     []cap.Value{cap.CHOWN, cap.SETPCAP},
+			fileCapsErr:  nil,
+			boundCaps:    []cap.Value{cap.CHOWN, cap.SETPCAP, cap.DAC_OVERRIDE},
+			boundCapsErr: nil,
+			capsText:     "cap_chown,cap_dac_override,cap_setpcap=eip",
+			expectedErr:  nil,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "no data err",
+			fileCaps:     nil,
+			fileCapsErr:  syscall.ENODATA,
+			boundCaps:    []cap.Value{cap.CHOWN, cap.SETPCAP, cap.DAC_OVERRIDE},
+			boundCapsErr: nil,
+			capsText:     "cap_chown,cap_dac_override,cap_setpcap=eip",
+			expectedErr:  nil,
 		},
 		{
-			name:      "missing caps",
-			fileCaps:  []cap.Value{cap.CHOWN, cap.SETPCAP},
-			boundCaps: []cap.Value{cap.CHOWN, cap.SETPCAP, cap.DAC_OVERRIDE},
-			capsText:  "cap_chown,cap_dac_override,cap_setpcap=eip",
+			name:         "file caps permission err",
+			fileCaps:     nil,
+			fileCapsErr:  syscall.EPERM,
+			boundCaps:    []cap.Value{cap.CHOWN, cap.SETPCAP, cap.DAC_OVERRIDE},
+			boundCapsErr: nil,
+			capsText:     "",
+			expectedErr:  syscall.EPERM,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "bound caps permission err",
+			fileCaps:     nil,
+			fileCapsErr:  nil,
+			boundCaps:    []cap.Value{cap.CHOWN, cap.SETPCAP, cap.DAC_OVERRIDE},
+			boundCapsErr: syscall.EPERM,
+			capsText:     "",
+			expectedErr:  syscall.EPERM,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -74,6 +127,10 @@ func Test_getMissingBoundingCapsText(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tt := range tc {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			capBound = func(val cap.Value) (bool, error) {
+				if tt.boundCapsErr != nil {
+					return false, tt.boundCapsErr
+				}
+
 				for _, boundCap := range tt.boundCaps {
 					if boundCap == val {
 						return true, nil
@@ -82,17 +139,23 @@ func Test_getMissingBoundingCapsText(t *testing.T) {
 				return false, nil
 			}
 			capGetFile = func(path string) (*cap.Set, error) {
-				set := cap.NewSet()
+				if tt.fileCapsErr != nil {
+					return nil, tt.fileCapsErr
+				}
 
+				set := cap.NewSet()
 				if err := set.SetFlag(cap.Effective, true, tt.fileCaps...); err != nil {
 					return nil, err
 				}
-
 				return set, nil
 			}
 
 			capsText, err := getMissingBoundingCapsText("non_existent")
-			require.NoError(t, err)
+			if tt.expectedErr != nil {
+				require.ErrorIs(t, err, tt.expectedErr)
+			} else {
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+			}
 			require.Equal(t, tt.capsText, capsText)
 		})
 	}