diff --git a/udevd.c b/udevd.c
index 366c227a3b..14616b9824 100644
--- a/udevd.c
+++ b/udevd.c
@@ -252,16 +252,19 @@ static void handle_msg(int sock)
 	cmsg = CMSG_FIRSTHDR(&smsg);
 	cred = (struct ucred *) CMSG_DATA(cmsg);
 
+	if (cmsg == NULL || cmsg->cmsg_type != SCM_CREDENTIALS) {
+		dbg("no sender credentials received, message ignored");
+		goto skip;
+	}
+
 	if (cred->uid != 0) {
 		dbg("sender uid=%i, message ignored", cred->uid);
-		free(msg);
-		return;
+		goto skip;
 	}
 
 	if (strncmp(msg->magic, UDEV_MAGIC, sizeof(UDEV_MAGIC)) != 0 ) {
 		dbg("message magic '%s' doesn't match, ignore it", msg->magic);
-		free(msg);
-		return;
+		goto skip;
 	}
 
 	/* if no seqnum is given, we move straight to exec queue */
@@ -271,6 +274,11 @@ static void handle_msg(int sock)
 	} else {
 		msg_queue_insert(msg);
 	}
+	return;
+
+skip:
+	free(msg);
+	return;
 }
 
 static void sig_handler(int signum)
@@ -316,6 +324,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	init_logging("udevd");
 
+	if (getuid() != 0) {
+		dbg("need to be root, exit");
+		exit(1);
+	}
+
 	/* set signal handler */
 	act.sa_handler = sig_handler;
 	sigemptyset (&act.sa_mask);
@@ -336,14 +349,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	ssock = socket(AF_LOCAL, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
 	if (ssock == -1) {
-		dbg("error getting socket");
+		dbg("error getting socket, exit");
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
 	/* the bind takes care of ensuring only one copy running */
 	retval = bind(ssock, (struct sockaddr *) &saddr, addrlen);
 	if (retval < 0) {
-		dbg("bind failed\n");
+		dbg("bind failed, exit");
 		goto exit;
 	}
 
diff --git a/udevsend.c b/udevsend.c
index b26c744422..b2fbcbbca6 100644
--- a/udevsend.c
+++ b/udevsend.c
@@ -133,13 +133,6 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	struct sockaddr_un saddr;
 	socklen_t addrlen;
 	int started_daemon = 0;
-	struct iovec iov;
-	struct msghdr smsg;
-	char cred_msg[CMSG_SPACE(sizeof(struct ucred))];
-	struct cmsghdr *cmsg;
-	struct ucred *cred;
-	
-
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	init_logging("udevsend");
@@ -183,32 +176,10 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
 	size = build_hotplugmsg(&msg, action, devpath, subsystem, seq);
 
-	/* prepare message with credentials to authenticate ourself */
-	iov.iov_base = &msg;
-	iov.iov_len = size;
-
-	smsg.msg_name = &saddr;
-	smsg.msg_namelen = addrlen;
-	smsg.msg_iov = &iov;
-	smsg.msg_iovlen = 1;
-	smsg.msg_control = cred_msg;
-	smsg.msg_controllen = CMSG_LEN(sizeof(struct ucred));;
-	smsg.msg_flags = 0;
-
-	cmsg = CMSG_FIRSTHDR(&smsg);
-	cmsg->cmsg_level = SOL_SOCKET;
-	cmsg->cmsg_type = SCM_CREDENTIALS;
-	cmsg->cmsg_len = sizeof(cred_msg);
-	cred = (struct ucred *) CMSG_DATA(cmsg);
-	cred->uid = getuid();
-	cred->gid = getgid();
-	cred->pid = getpid();
-	cred->pid = getpid();
-
 	/* If we can't send, try to start daemon and resend message */
 	loop = UDEVSEND_CONNECT_RETRY;
 	while (loop--) {
-		retval = sendmsg(sock, &smsg, 0);
+		retval = sendto(sock, &msg, size, 0, (struct sockaddr *)&saddr, addrlen);
 		if (retval != -1) {
 			retval = 0;
 			goto close_and_exit;