diff --git a/pkgm.ts b/pkgm.ts
index f3f08c3..e7af31f 100755
--- a/pkgm.ts
+++ b/pkgm.ts
@@ -297,21 +297,27 @@ async function query_pkgx(
   set("PKGX_DIST_URL");
   set("XDG_DATA_HOME");
 
-  const needs_sudo_backwards = install_prefix().string == "/usr/local";
-  let cmd = needs_sudo_backwards ? "/usr/bin/sudo" : pkgx;
+  const isRoot = Deno.uid() == 0;
+  const sudoUser = Deno.env.get("SUDO_USER");
+  const prefix = install_prefix().string;
+
+  if (prefix == "/usr/local" && isRoot && !sudoUser) {
+    console.error(
+      "%cwarning",
+      "color:yellow",
+      "installing as root; installing via `sudo` is preferred",
+    );
+  }
+
+  const needs_sudo_backwards =
+    prefix == "/usr/local" && !isRoot && !sudoUser;
+
+  let cmd = pkgx;
+
   if (needs_sudo_backwards) {
-    if (!Deno.env.get("SUDO_USER")) {
-      if (Deno.uid() == 0) {
-        console.error(
-          "%cwarning",
-          "color:yellow",
-          "installing as root; installing via `sudo` is preferred",
-        );
-      }
-      cmd = pkgx;
-    } else {
-      args.unshift("-u", Deno.env.get("SUDO_USER")!, pkgx);
-    }
+    cmd = "/usr/bin/sudo";
+    const user = Deno.env.get("USER")!;
+    args.unshift("-u", user, pkgx);
   }
 
   const proc = new Deno.Command(cmd, {