diff --git a/pmb/init/run.py b/pmb/init/run.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4ee83204
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pmb/init/run.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Copyright 2025 Casey Connolly
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+
+# Wrappers for running commands prior to pmbootstrap init/unshare
+
+from pmb.init.sudo import which_sudo
+import subprocess
+import shlex
+
+
+def sudo(cmd: list[str]) -> list[str]:
+    """
+    Prefix with "sudo --" unless already running as root
+    """
+    sudo = which_sudo()
+    if not sudo:
+        return cmd
+
+    return [sudo, "--", *[shlex.quote(x) for x in cmd]]
+
+
+def run_root(cmd: list[str]) -> tuple[str, str]:
+    """
+    Run a command as root and get stdout/stderr result
+    """
+    proc = subprocess.run(sudo(cmd), capture_output=True)
+    return (proc.stdout, proc.stderr)
diff --git a/pmb/init/sudo.py b/pmb/init/sudo.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e01b5908
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pmb/init/sudo.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# Copyright 2023 Anjandev Momi
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+import os
+import shutil
+from functools import lru_cache
+
+
+@lru_cache
+def which_sudo() -> str | None:
+    """Return a command required to run commands as root, if any.
+
+    Find whether sudo or doas is installed for commands that require root.
+    Allows user to override preferred sudo with PMB_SUDO env variable.
+    """
+    if os.getuid() == 0:
+        return None
+
+    supported_sudos = ["doas", "sudo"]
+
+    user_set_sudo = os.getenv("PMB_SUDO")
+    if user_set_sudo is not None:
+        if shutil.which(user_set_sudo) is None:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                "PMB_SUDO environmental variable is set to"
+                f" {user_set_sudo} but pmbootstrap cannot find"
+                " this command on your system."
+            )
+        return user_set_sudo
+
+    for sudo in supported_sudos:
+        if shutil.which(sudo) is not None:
+            return sudo
+
+    raise RuntimeError(
+        "Can't find sudo or doas required to run pmbootstrap."
+        " Please install sudo, doas, or specify your own sudo"
+        " with the PMB_SUDO environmental variable."
+    )