diff --git a/vpn/ipc/conn_nonwindows.go b/vpn/ipc/conn_nonwindows.go
index 76266fd8..0a4358e8 100644
--- a/vpn/ipc/conn_nonwindows.go
+++ b/vpn/ipc/conn_nonwindows.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ func listen() (net.Listener, error) {
 		Listener: listener,
 		path:     path,
 	}
-	// ensure listener is closed
+	// Close the listener when the socket wrapper is garbage-collected.
 	runtime.AddCleanup(socket, func(ll *net.UnixListener) {
 		ll.Close()
 	}, listener)
@@ -84,10 +84,48 @@ func getConnPeer(conn net.Conn) (p usr, err error) {
 	}
 
 	uidStr := strconv.FormatUint(uint64(uid), 10)
+	peer, err := getPeerUser(uid, uidStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return p, err
+	}
+	return peer, nil
+}
+
+func linuxUserInControlGroup(u *user.User) (bool, error) {
+	controlGroupGID, err := controlGroupGID()
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	gids, err := u.GroupIds()
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("lookup groups for %s: %w", u.Username, err)
+	}
+	for _, gid := range gids {
+		if gid == controlGroupGID {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return false, nil
+}
+
+func getPeerUser(uid uint32, uidStr string) (usr, error) {
 	u, err := user.LookupId(uidStr)
 	if err != nil {
-		return p, fmt.Errorf("lookup user id %v: %w", uid, err)
+		return usr{}, fmt.Errorf("lookup user id %v: %w", uid, err)
+	}
+
+	if runtime.GOOS == "linux" {
+		inControlGroup, err := linuxUserInControlGroup(u)
+		if err != nil {
+			return usr{}, err
+		}
+		return usr{
+			uid:            uidStr,
+			uname:          u.Username,
+			inControlGroup: inControlGroup,
+		}, nil
 	}
+
 	return usr{
 		uid:     uidStr,
 		uname:   u.Username,
diff --git a/vpn/ipc/control_group_mobile.go b/vpn/ipc/control_group_mobile.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fb5d1a3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vpn/ipc/control_group_mobile.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+//go:build android || ios
+
+package ipc
+
+import "fmt"
+
+func controlGroupGID() (string, error) {
+	return "", fmt.Errorf("control group lookup is unsupported on %s", controlGroup)
+}
+
+func controlGroupGIDInt() (int, error) {
+	return 0, fmt.Errorf("control group gid conversion is unsupported on %s", controlGroup)
+}
diff --git a/vpn/ipc/control_group_nonwindows.go b/vpn/ipc/control_group_nonwindows.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d3086175
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vpn/ipc/control_group_nonwindows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+//go:build !android && !ios && !windows
+
+package ipc
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os/user"
+	"strconv"
+)
+
+func controlGroupInfo() (*user.Group, error) {
+	group, err := user.LookupGroup(controlGroup)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf(
+			"lookup %s group: %w. Create the %s group on this system and add the users that should access IPC, or configure a different control group if supported",
+			controlGroup,
+			err,
+			controlGroup,
+		)
+	}
+	return group, nil
+}
+
+func controlGroupGID() (string, error) {
+	group, err := controlGroupInfo()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return group.Gid, nil
+}
+
+func controlGroupGIDInt() (int, error) {
+	gid, err := controlGroupGID()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	parsed, err := strconv.Atoi(gid)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("convert %s gid %s: %w", controlGroup, gid, err)
+	}
+	return parsed, nil
+}
diff --git a/vpn/ipc/middlewares.go b/vpn/ipc/middlewares.go
index 56716242..90741aed 100644
--- a/vpn/ipc/middlewares.go
+++ b/vpn/ipc/middlewares.go
@@ -61,5 +61,5 @@ func authPeer(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
 }
 
 func peerCanAccess(peer usr) bool {
-	return peer.isAdmin
+	return peer.isAdmin || peer.inControlGroup || peer.uid == "0"
 }
diff --git a/vpn/ipc/socket.go b/vpn/ipc/socket.go
index e04ae70a..c7816c80 100644
--- a/vpn/ipc/socket.go
+++ b/vpn/ipc/socket.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 )
 
+const controlGroup = "lantern"
+
 // use a var so it can be overridden in tests
 var _socketPath = "/var/run/lantern/lanternd.sock"
 
@@ -25,8 +27,24 @@ func socketPath() string {
 func setPermissions() error {
 	path := socketPath()
 	if runtime.GOOS == "linux" {
-		// we'll check if user is sudoer to restrict access
-		return os.Chmod(socketPath(), 0666)
+		if _testing || os.Geteuid() != 0 {
+			if err := os.Chmod(path, 0600); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("chmod %s: %w", path, err)
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		gid, err := controlGroupGIDInt()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if err := os.Chown(path, 0, gid); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("chown %s: %w", path, err)
+		}
+		if err := os.Chmod(path, 0660); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("chmod %s: %w", path, err)
+		}
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	// chown admin group and let the OS restrict access
diff --git a/vpn/ipc/usr.go b/vpn/ipc/usr.go
index a40f4a64..cf4a325d 100644
--- a/vpn/ipc/usr.go
+++ b/vpn/ipc/usr.go
@@ -23,9 +23,10 @@ func init() {
 type usrKey struct{}
 
 type usr struct {
-	uid     string
-	uname   string
-	isAdmin bool
+	uid            string
+	uname          string
+	isAdmin        bool
+	inControlGroup bool
 }
 
 func contextWithUsr(ctx context.Context, u usr) context.Context {