diff --git a/tests/extrac07.at b/tests/extrac07.at
index 920175cd..d993dc36 100644
--- a/tests/extrac07.at
+++ b/tests/extrac07.at
@@ -28,13 +28,15 @@ AT_SETUP([extracting symlinks to a read-only dir])
 AT_KEYWORDS([extract extract07 read-only symlink])
 
 AT_TAR_CHECK([
+AT_UNPRIVILEGED_PREREQ
+
 echo Prepare the directory
 mkdir dir
 genfile -f foo
 cd dir
 ln -s ../foo .
 cd ..
-chmod -w dir
+chmod a-w dir
 
 echo Create the archive
 tar cf archive dir || exit 1
diff --git a/tests/extrac09.at b/tests/extrac09.at
index 4506c04d..8241c30a 100644
--- a/tests/extrac09.at
+++ b/tests/extrac09.at
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ AT_SETUP([no need to save dir with unreadable . and ..])
 AT_KEYWORDS([extract extrac09])
 
 AT_TAR_CHECK([
+AT_UNPRIVILEGED_PREREQ
+
 mkdir dir
 mkdir dir/sub
 mkdir dir/sub/extract
diff --git a/tests/listed03.at b/tests/listed03.at
index 5bf8e583..f3feda76 100644
--- a/tests/listed03.at
+++ b/tests/listed03.at
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ AT_SETUP([incremental dump when the parent directory is unreadable])
 AT_KEYWORDS([listed incremental listed03])
 
 AT_TAR_CHECK([
+AT_UNPRIVILEGED_PREREQ
+
 mkdir dir
 mkdir dir/sub
 mkdir dir/sub/a