diff --git a/internals/cli/cmd_add_test.go b/internals/cli/cmd_add_test.go
index 9233dd7c..83db69da 100644
--- a/internals/cli/cmd_add_test.go
+++ b/internals/cli/cmd_add_test.go
@@ -100,10 +100,9 @@ services:
 			} else if path == triggerLayerPath {
 				c.Assert(err, check.ErrorMatches, "triggered")
 			} else if path == unreadableLayerPath {
-				if os.Getuid() == 0 {
-					c.Skip("requires running as non-root users")
+				if os.Getuid() != 0 {
+					c.Assert(os.IsPermission(err), check.Equals, true)
 				}
-				c.Assert(os.IsPermission(err), check.Equals, true)
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/internals/osutil/io_test.go b/internals/osutil/io_test.go
index b6c00d2a..686a9eb6 100644
--- a/internals/osutil/io_test.go
+++ b/internals/osutil/io_test.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func (ts *AtomicWriteTestSuite) TestAtomicWriteFileSymlinkNoFollow(c *C) {
 	defer os.Chmod(rodir, 0700)
 
 	if os.Getuid() == 0 {
-		c.Skip("requires running as non-root users")
+		c.Skip("requires running as non-root user")
 	}
 	err := osutil.AtomicWriteFile(p, []byte("hi"), 0600, 0)
 	c.Assert(err, NotNil)
diff --git a/internals/osutil/stat_test.go b/internals/osutil/stat_test.go
index b90dad57..51393e06 100644
--- a/internals/osutil/stat_test.go
+++ b/internals/osutil/stat_test.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func makeTestPathInDir(c *C, dir string, path string, mode os.FileMode) string {
 
 func (s *StatTestSuite) TestIsWritableDir(c *C) {
 	if os.Getuid() == 0 {
-		c.Skip("requires running as non-root users")
+		c.Skip("requires running as non-root user")
 	}
 
 	for _, t := range []struct {
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ func (s *StatTestSuite) TestExistsIsDir(c *C) {
 	}
 
 	if os.Getuid() == 0 {
-		c.Skip("requires running as non-root users")
+		c.Skip("requires running as non-root user")
 	}
 	p := makeTestPath(c, "foo/bar", 0)
 	c.Assert(os.Chmod(filepath.Dir(p), 0), IsNil)