diff --git a/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.cpp b/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.cpp
index 26702c4..7488827 100644
--- a/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.cpp
+++ b/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.cpp
@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@
     return *this;
 }
 
+CommandOptions::CommandOptionsBuilder& CommandOptions::CommandOptionsBuilder::AsRootIfAvailable() {
+    if (!PropertiesHelper::IsUserBuild())
+        values.account_mode_ = SU_ROOT;
+    return *this;
+}
+
 CommandOptions::CommandOptionsBuilder& CommandOptions::CommandOptionsBuilder::DropRoot() {
     values.account_mode_ = DROP_ROOT;
     return *this;
diff --git a/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.h b/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.h
index 5a8ce5b..698ceff 100644
--- a/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.h
+++ b/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.h
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@
         CommandOptionsBuilder& Always();
         /* Sets the command's PrivilegeMode as `SU_ROOT` */
         CommandOptionsBuilder& AsRoot();
+        /* If !IsUserBuild(), sets the command's PrivilegeMode as `SU_ROOT` */
+        CommandOptionsBuilder& AsRootIfAvailable();
         /* Sets the command's PrivilegeMode as `DROP_ROOT` */
         CommandOptionsBuilder& DropRoot();
         /* Sets the command's OutputMode as `REDIRECT_TO_STDERR` */
diff --git a/cmds/dumpstate/dumpstate.cpp b/cmds/dumpstate/dumpstate.cpp
index f84d86d..24b4c99 100644
--- a/cmds/dumpstate/dumpstate.cpp
+++ b/cmds/dumpstate/dumpstate.cpp
@@ -972,14 +972,15 @@
         RunCommand(
                 "HARDWARE HALS",
                 {"lshal", std::string("--debug=") + kLsHalDebugPath},
-                CommandOptions::AS_ROOT);
+                CommandOptions::WithTimeout(10).AsRootIfAvailable().Build());
 
         ds.AddZipEntry("lshal-debug.txt", kLsHalDebugPath);
 
         unlink(kLsHalDebugPath.c_str());
     } else {
         RunCommand(
-                "HARDWARE HALS", {"lshal", "--debug"}, CommandOptions::AS_ROOT);
+                "HARDWARE HALS", {"lshal", "--debug"},
+                CommandOptions::WithTimeout(10).AsRootIfAvailable().Build());
     }
 
     RunCommand("PRINTENV", {"printenv"});
diff --git a/cmds/dumpstate/tests/dumpstate_test.cpp b/cmds/dumpstate/tests/dumpstate_test.cpp
index 1c19268..52698b2 100644
--- a/cmds/dumpstate/tests/dumpstate_test.cpp
+++ b/cmds/dumpstate/tests/dumpstate_test.cpp
@@ -477,6 +477,48 @@
     EXPECT_THAT(err, StrEq("stderr\n"));
 }
 
+TEST_F(DumpstateTest, RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnUserBuild) {
+    if (!IsStandalone()) {
+        // TODO: temporarily disabled because it might cause other tests to fail after dropping
+        // to Shell - need to refactor tests to avoid this problem)
+        MYLOGE("Skipping DumpstateTest.RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnUserBuild() on test suite\n")
+        return;
+    }
+    if (!PropertiesHelper::IsUserBuild()) {
+        // Emulates user build if necessarily.
+        SetBuildType("user");
+    }
+
+    DropRoot();
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, RunCommand("", {kSimpleCommand, "--uid"},
+                            CommandOptions::WithTimeout(1).AsRootIfAvailable().Build()));
+
+    EXPECT_THAT(out, StrEq("2000\nstdout\n"));
+    EXPECT_THAT(err, StrEq("stderr\n"));
+}
+
+TEST_F(DumpstateTest, RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnDebugBuild) {
+    if (!IsStandalone()) {
+        // TODO: temporarily disabled because it might cause other tests to fail after dropping
+        // to Shell - need to refactor tests to avoid this problem)
+        MYLOGE("Skipping DumpstateTest.RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnDebugBuild() on test suite\n")
+        return;
+    }
+    if (PropertiesHelper::IsUserBuild()) {
+        ALOGI("Skipping RunCommandAsRootNonUserBuild on user builds\n");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    DropRoot();
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, RunCommand("", {kSimpleCommand, "--uid"},
+                            CommandOptions::WithTimeout(1).AsRootIfAvailable().Build()));
+
+    EXPECT_THAT(out, StrEq("0\nstdout\n"));
+    EXPECT_THAT(err, StrEq("stderr\n"));
+}
+
 TEST_F(DumpstateTest, DumpFileNotFoundNoTitle) {
     EXPECT_EQ(-1, DumpFile("", "/I/cant/believe/I/exist"));
     EXPECT_THAT(out,
@@ -1053,6 +1095,51 @@
     EXPECT_THAT(err, StrEq("stderr\n"));
 }
 
+
+TEST_F(DumpstateUtilTest, RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnUserBuild) {
+    if (!IsStandalone()) {
+        // TODO: temporarily disabled because it might cause other tests to fail after dropping
+        // to Shell - need to refactor tests to avoid this problem)
+        MYLOGE("Skipping DumpstateUtilTest.RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnUserBuild() on test suite\n")
+        return;
+    }
+    CreateFd("RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnUserBuild.txt");
+    if (!PropertiesHelper::IsUserBuild()) {
+        // Emulates user build if necessarily.
+        SetBuildType("user");
+    }
+
+    DropRoot();
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, RunCommand("", {kSimpleCommand, "--uid"},
+                            CommandOptions::WithTimeout(1).AsRootIfAvailable().Build()));
+
+    EXPECT_THAT(out, StrEq("2000\nstdout\n"));
+    EXPECT_THAT(err, StrEq("stderr\n"));
+}
+
+TEST_F(DumpstateUtilTest, RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnDebugBuild) {
+    if (!IsStandalone()) {
+        // TODO: temporarily disabled because it might cause other tests to fail after dropping
+        // to Shell - need to refactor tests to avoid this problem)
+        MYLOGE("Skipping DumpstateUtilTest.RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnDebugBuild() on test suite\n")
+        return;
+    }
+    CreateFd("RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnDebugBuild.txt");
+    if (PropertiesHelper::IsUserBuild()) {
+        ALOGI("Skipping RunCommandAsRootNonUserBuild on user builds\n");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    DropRoot();
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, RunCommand("", {kSimpleCommand, "--uid"},
+                            CommandOptions::WithTimeout(1).AsRootIfAvailable().Build()));
+
+    EXPECT_THAT(out, StrEq("0\nstdout\n"));
+    EXPECT_THAT(err, StrEq("stderr\n"));
+}
+
 TEST_F(DumpstateUtilTest, RunCommandDropRoot) {
     if (!IsStandalone()) {
         // TODO: temporarily disabled because it might cause other tests to fail after dropping