diff --git a/libexec/portzap/portzap-checkout b/libexec/portzap/portzap-checkout
index b183a72..4210d32 100644
--- a/libexec/portzap/portzap-checkout
+++ b/libexec/portzap/portzap-checkout
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ printerr() {
 
 ##
 # main
+if [ "$(id -u)" = "0" ]; then
+    printerr "you must be a user other than root"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 if ! "${libexec}"/isportzap-member; then
     printerr "$(id -un) is not a member of _portzap"
     exit 1
diff --git a/libexec/portzap/portzap-clone b/libexec/portzap/portzap-clone
index 64e9b25..67a2464 100755
--- a/libexec/portzap/portzap-clone
+++ b/libexec/portzap/portzap-clone
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ printerr() {
 
 ##
 # main
+if [ "$(id -u)" = "0" ]; then
+    printerr "you must be a user other than root"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 if ! "${libexec}"/isportzap-member; then
     printerr "$(id -un) is not a member of _portzap"
     exit 1
diff --git a/libexec/portzap/portzap-pull b/libexec/portzap/portzap-pull
index f3f0e67..ce4e134 100755
--- a/libexec/portzap/portzap-pull
+++ b/libexec/portzap/portzap-pull
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ printerr() {
 
 ##
 # main
+if [ "$(id -u)" = "0" ]; then
+    printerr "you must be a user other than root"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 if ! "${libexec}"/isportzap-member; then
     printerr "$(id -un) is not a member of _portzap"
     exit 1