diff --git a/site_ansto/instrument/runsics.py b/site_ansto/instrument/runsics.py
index 82b940de..91bb7949 100755
--- a/site_ansto/instrument/runsics.py
+++ b/site_ansto/instrument/runsics.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def start_cmd(server, args):
         execenv.update(sicsenv['scriptval'])
     else:
         execenv.update(sicsenv[args.test])
-    start_str = 'sudo -Eu %s %s/SICServer -d %s' % (args.user, args.dir, args.config)
+    start_str = 'sudo -u %s %s/SICServer -d %s' % (args.user, args.dir, args.config)
     # Suppress output if launching the script validator
     if (server == 'scriptval'):
         with open(os.devnull) as fp:
@@ -82,13 +82,13 @@ def stop_cmd(server, args):
         if status_cmd(server, args):
             print 'Failed to stop %s' % server
             print 'Try harder dammit!'
-            subprocess.call(shlex.split('sudo -Eu root killall SICServer'))
+            subprocess.call(shlex.split('sudo -u root killall SICServer'))
         else:
             return
         if status_cmd(server, args):
             print 'Failed again!'
             print 'Die damn you! DIE!!'
-            subprocess.call(shlex.split('sudo -Eu root killall -s15 SICServer'))
+            subprocess.call(shlex.split('sudo -u root killall -s15 SICServer'))
         else:
             return
         if status_cmd(server, args):
@@ -101,9 +101,12 @@ def status_cmd(server, args):
         sock = server_port[server]['server']
     else:
         sock = server_port[server]['server'] + inst_test_sockoffset[args.sockoffset]
-    status_cmd = 'sudo -Eu %s netstat -nltp' % args.user
-    with open(os.devnull) as fp:
-        netstat_str = subprocess.check_output(shlex.split(status_cmd), stderr=fp)
+    status_cmd = 'sudo -u %s netstat -nltp' % 'root'
+    netstat_str, err = subprocess.Popen(shlex.split(status_cmd), stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()
+# ffr: We can replace the previous Popen().communicate() line with the following two lines if Python is upgraded to V2.7
+#   with open(os.devnull) as fp:
+#       netstat_str = subprocess.check_output(shlex.split(status_cmd), stderr=fp)
+#
     #Find PID of SICServer listening on server port
     m = re.search(':%d .* (\d+)\/SICServer' % sock, netstat_str)
     if m: