diff --git a/dist/tools/tapsetup/tapsetup b/dist/tools/tapsetup/tapsetup
index 539a19fbcb..f79bca93d7 100755
--- a/dist/tools/tapsetup/tapsetup
+++ b/dist/tools/tapsetup/tapsetup
@@ -35,15 +35,15 @@ create_bridge() {
 
     case "${PLATFORM}" in
         FreeBSD)
-            sudo kldload if_bridge
-            sudo ifconfig ${BRNAME} create || exit 1 ;;
+            kldload if_bridge
+            ifconfig ${BRNAME} create || exit 1 ;;
         Linux)
-            sudo ip link add name ${BRNAME} type bridge || exit 1
+            ip link add name ${BRNAME} type bridge || exit 1
             if [ -n "${DEACTIVATE_IPV6}" ]; then
-                sudo -s sh -c "echo 1  > /proc/sys/net/ipv6/conf/${BRNAME}/disable_ipv6" || exit 1
+                echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv6/conf/${BRNAME}/disable_ipv6 || exit 1
             fi ;;
         OSX)
-            sudo ifconfig ${BRNAME} create || exit 1 ;;
+            ifconfig ${BRNAME} create || exit 1 ;;
         *)
             ;;
     esac
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ create_bridge() {
 up_bridge() {
     case "${PLATFORM}" in
         FreeBSD|OSX)
-            sudo ifconfig ${BRNAME} up || exit 1 ;;
+            ifconfig ${BRNAME} up || exit 1 ;;
         Linux)
-            sudo ip link set ${BRNAME} up || exit 1 ;;
+            ip link set ${BRNAME} up || exit 1 ;;
         *)
             ;;
     esac
@@ -65,17 +65,17 @@ delete_bridge() {
 
     case "${PLATFORM}" in
         FreeBSD)
-            sudo sysctl net.link.tap.user_open=0
-            sudo kldunload if_tap || exit 1
-            sudo kldunload if_bridge || exit 1 ;;
+            sysctl net.link.tap.user_open=0
+            kldunload if_tap || exit 1
+            kldunload if_bridge || exit 1 ;;
         Linux)
             for IF in $(ls /sys/class/net/${BRNAME}/brif); do
-                sudo ip link delete "${IF}"
+                ip link delete "${IF}"
             done
 
-            sudo ip link delete ${BRNAME} || exit 1 ;;
+            ip link delete ${BRNAME} || exit 1 ;;
         OSX)
-            sudo ifconfig ${BRNAME} destroy || exit 1 ;;
+            ifconfig ${BRNAME} destroy || exit 1 ;;
         *)
             ;;
     esac
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ delete_bridge() {
 begin_tap() {
     case "${PLATFORM}" in
         FreeBSD)
-            sudo kldload if_tap || exit 1
-            sudo sysctl net.link.tap.user_open=1 ;;
+            kldload if_tap || exit 1
+            sysctl net.link.tap.user_open=1 ;;
         *)
             ;;
     esac
@@ -95,24 +95,24 @@ create_tap() {
     case "${PLATFORM}" in
         FreeBSD)
             echo "creating ${TAPNAME}${N}" || exit 1
-            sudo ifconfig tap${N} create || exit 1
-            sudo chown ${USER} /dev/tap${N} || exit 1
-            sudo ifconfig ${BRNAME} addm tap${N} || exit 1
-            sudo ifconfig tap${N} up || exit 1 ;;
+            ifconfig tap${N} create || exit 1
+            chown ${SUDO_USER} /dev/tap${N} || exit 1
+            ifconfig ${BRNAME} addm tap${N} || exit 1
+            ifconfig tap${N} up || exit 1 ;;
         Linux)
             echo "creating ${TAPNAME}${N}"
-            sudo ip tuntap add dev ${TAPNAME}${N} mode tap user ${USER} || exit 1
+            ip tuntap add dev ${TAPNAME}${N} mode tap user ${SUDO_USER} || exit 1
             if [ -n "${DEACTIVATE_IPV6}" ]; then
-                sudo -s sh -c "echo 1  > /proc/sys/net/ipv6/conf/${TAPNAME}${N}/disable_ipv6" || exit 1
+                echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv6/conf/${TAPNAME}${N}/disable_ipv6 || exit 1
             fi
-            sudo ip link set dev ${TAPNAME}${N} master ${BRNAME} || exit 1
-            sudo ip link set ${TAPNAME}${N} up || exit 1 ;;
+            ip link set dev ${TAPNAME}${N} master ${BRNAME} || exit 1
+            ip link set ${TAPNAME}${N} up || exit 1 ;;
         OSX)
-            sudo chown ${USER} /dev/tap${N} || exit 1
+            chown ${SUDO_USER} /dev/tap${N} || exit 1
             echo "start RIOT instance for tap${N} now and hit enter"
             read
-            sudo ifconfig ${BRNAME} addm tap${N} || exit 1
-            sudo ifconfig tap${N} up || exit 1 ;;
+            ifconfig ${BRNAME} addm tap${N} || exit 1
+            ifconfig tap${N} up || exit 1 ;;
         *)
             ;;
     esac
@@ -174,12 +174,9 @@ while true ; do
     esac
 done
 
-if [ -z "${USER}" ]; then
-    export USER=$(id -un)
-    if [ -z "${USER}" ]; then
-        echo 'need to export $USER'
-        exit 1
-    fi
+if [ -z "${SUDO_USER}" ]; then
+    echo 'Environment variable $SUDO_USER required; Please run with `sudo`'
+    exit 1
 fi
 if [ -z "${COMMAND}" ]; then
     COMMAND="create"