diff --git a/dashboard/modules/reporter/reporter_agent.py b/dashboard/modules/reporter/reporter_agent.py
index 4e3f7cd55d6d..f87569e24e1a 100644
--- a/dashboard/modules/reporter/reporter_agent.py
+++ b/dashboard/modules/reporter/reporter_agent.py
@@ -73,9 +73,10 @@ async def GetProfilingStats(self, request, context):
         duration = request.duration
         profiling_file_path = os.path.join(ray.utils.get_ray_temp_dir(),
                                            "{}_profiling.txt".format(pid))
+        sudo = "sudo" if ray.utils.get_user() != "root" else ""
         process = subprocess.Popen(
-            "sudo $(which py-spy) record -o {} -p {} -d {} -f speedscope"
-            .format(profiling_file_path, pid, duration),
+            (f"{sudo} $(which py-spy) record -o {profiling_file_path} -p {pid}"
+             f" -d {duration} -f speedscope"),
             stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
             stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
             shell=True)
diff --git a/python/ray/reporter.py b/python/ray/reporter.py
index 3f7295df6536..517f4d8ba77e 100644
--- a/python/ray/reporter.py
+++ b/python/ray/reporter.py
@@ -43,9 +43,10 @@ def GetProfilingStats(self, request, context):
         duration = request.duration
         profiling_file_path = os.path.join(ray.utils.get_ray_temp_dir(),
                                            f"{pid}_profiling.txt")
+        sudo = "sudo" if ray.utils.get_user() != "root" else ""
         process = subprocess.Popen(
-            "sudo $(which py-spy) record -o {} -p {} -d {} -f speedscope"
-            .format(profiling_file_path, pid, duration),
+            (f"{sudo} $(which py-spy) record -o {profiling_file_path} -p {pid}"
+             f" -d {duration} -f speedscope"),
             stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
             stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
             shell=True)
diff --git a/python/ray/utils.py b/python/ray/utils.py
index c41c76ba5601..6cb9fb68ea94 100644
--- a/python/ray/utils.py
+++ b/python/ray/utils.py
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@
 import ray.ray_constants as ray_constants
 import psutil
 
+pwd = None
+if sys.platform != "win32":
+    import pwd
+
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 # Linux can bind child processes' lifetimes to that of their parents via prctl.
@@ -780,3 +784,12 @@ def try_to_symlink(symlink_path, target_path):
         os.symlink(target_path, symlink_path)
     except OSError:
         return
+
+
+def get_user():
+    if pwd is None:
+        return ""
+    try:
+        return pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid()).pw_name
+    except Exception:
+        return ""