diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 53f22a8da..e0e7a66e9 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -323,6 +323,11 @@ sndfile_dep = dependency('sndfile', version : '>= 1.0.20', required : get_option
 pulseaudio_dep = dependency('libpulse', required : get_option('libpulse'))
 avahi_dep = dependency('avahi-client', required : get_option('avahi'))
 
+cap_lib = dependency('libcap', required : false)
+if cap_lib.found()
+  cdata.set('HAVE_LIBCAP', 1)
+endif
+
 gst_option = get_option('gstreamer')
 gst_deps_def = {
   'glib-2.0': {'version': '>=2.32.0'},
diff --git a/test/meson.build b/test/meson.build
index 599a894e1..715b6b345 100644
--- a/test/meson.build
+++ b/test/meson.build
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ pwtest_deps = [
   pipewire_dep,
   mathlib,
   dl_lib,
+  cap_lib,
 ]
 
 pwtest_c_args = [
diff --git a/test/pwtest.c b/test/pwtest.c
index 01553c6d5..b9f6d19bc 100644
--- a/test/pwtest.c
+++ b/test/pwtest.c
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <syscall.h>
+#if HAVE_LIBCAP
+#include <sys/capability.h>
+#endif
 #include <sys/epoll.h>
 #include <sys/ptrace.h>
 #include <sys/resource.h>
@@ -1135,8 +1138,9 @@ static void list_tests(struct pwtest_context *ctx)
 
 static bool is_debugger_attached(void)
 {
+	bool rc = false;
+#if HAVE_LIBCAP
 	int status;
-	bool rc;
 	int pid = fork();
 
 	if (pid == -1)
@@ -1144,6 +1148,13 @@ static bool is_debugger_attached(void)
 
 	if (pid == 0) {
 		int ppid = getppid();
+		cap_t caps = cap_get_pid(ppid);
+		cap_flag_value_t cap_val;
+
+		if (cap_get_flag(caps, CAP_SYS_PTRACE, CAP_EFFECTIVE, &cap_val) == -1 ||
+		    cap_val != CAP_SET)
+			_exit(false);
+
 		if (ptrace(PTRACE_ATTACH, ppid, NULL, 0) == 0) {
 			waitpid(ppid, NULL, 0);
 			ptrace(PTRACE_CONT, ppid, NULL, 0);
@@ -1158,6 +1169,7 @@ static bool is_debugger_attached(void)
 		rc = WEXITSTATUS(status);
 	}
 
+#endif
 	return !!rc;
 }