diff --git a/tests/core/privilege-helper.t.cpp b/tests/core/privilege-helper.t.cpp
index ce024e9..594f42f 100644
--- a/tests/core/privilege-helper.t.cpp
+++ b/tests/core/privilege-helper.t.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
-/**
- * Copyright (c) 2014-2016,  Regents of the University of California,
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2018,  Regents of the University of California,
  *                           Arizona Board of Regents,
  *                           Colorado State University,
  *                           University Pierre & Marie Curie, Sorbonne University,
@@ -37,28 +37,37 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_PRIVILEGE_DROP_AND_ELEVATE
   SKIP_IF_NOT_SUPERUSER();
 
-  // The following assumes that nobody/nogroup is present on the test system
-  BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(PrivilegeHelper::initialize("nobody", "nogroup"));
+  // The following assumes that daemon:daemon is present on the test system
+  PrivilegeHelper::initialize("daemon", "daemon");
   BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(::geteuid(), 0);
+  BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(::getegid(), 0);
 
-  BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(PrivilegeHelper::drop());
+  PrivilegeHelper::drop();
   BOOST_CHECK_NE(::geteuid(), 0);
+  BOOST_CHECK_NE(::getegid(), 0);
 
-  // separate runElevated case to improve log reporting (otherwise output is unreadable)
-  BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(PrivilegeHelper::runElevated([]{}));
   PrivilegeHelper::runElevated([] {
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(::geteuid(), 0);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(::getegid(), 0);
   });
   BOOST_CHECK_NE(::geteuid(), 0);
+  BOOST_CHECK_NE(::getegid(), 0);
 
-  BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(PrivilegeHelper::raise());
+  BOOST_CHECK_THROW(PrivilegeHelper::runElevated(std::function<void()>{}),
+                    std::bad_function_call);
+  BOOST_CHECK_NE(::geteuid(), 0);
+  BOOST_CHECK_NE(::getegid(), 0);
+
+  PrivilegeHelper::raise();
   BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(::geteuid(), 0);
+  BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(::getegid(), 0);
+
 #else
   BOOST_TEST_MESSAGE("Dropping/raising privileges not supported on this platform, skipping");
 #endif // HAVE_PRIVILEGE_DROP_AND_ELEVATE
 }
 
-BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END() // TestPrivilegeHelper
 
 } // namespace tests
 } // namespace nfd
diff --git a/tests/daemon/mgmt/general-config-section.t.cpp b/tests/daemon/mgmt/general-config-section.t.cpp
index 226a541..a12b09b 100644
--- a/tests/daemon/mgmt/general-config-section.t.cpp
+++ b/tests/daemon/mgmt/general-config-section.t.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@
 class GeneralConfigSectionFixture : public BaseFixture
 {
 public:
+  GeneralConfigSectionFixture()
+  {
+    setConfigFile(configFile);
+  }
+
 #ifdef HAVE_PRIVILEGE_DROP_AND_ELEVATE
   ~GeneralConfigSectionFixture()
   {
@@ -48,85 +53,86 @@
     PrivilegeHelper::s_normalGid = ::getegid();
   }
 #endif // HAVE_PRIVILEGE_DROP_AND_ELEVATE
+
+protected:
+  ConfigFile configFile;
 };
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE(Mgmt)
 BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_SUITE(TestGeneralConfigSection, GeneralConfigSectionFixture)
 
-BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(DefaultConfig)
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(EmptyConfig)
 {
-  const std::string CONFIG =
-    "general\n"
-    "{\n"
-    "}\n";
+  const std::string CONFIG = R"CONFIG(
+    general
+    {
+    }
+  )CONFIG";
 
-  ConfigFile configFile;
+  configFile.parse(CONFIG, true, "test-general-config-section");
 
-  general::setConfigFile(configFile);
-  BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(configFile.parse(CONFIG, true, "test-general-config-section"));
+  BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(PrivilegeHelper::s_normalUid, PrivilegeHelper::s_privilegedUid);
+  BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(PrivilegeHelper::s_normalGid, PrivilegeHelper::s_privilegedGid);
 }
 
 #ifdef HAVE_PRIVILEGE_DROP_AND_ELEVATE
 
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(UserConfig)
+{
+  const std::string CONFIG = R"CONFIG(
+    general
+    {
+      user daemon
+    }
+  )CONFIG";
+
+  configFile.parse(CONFIG, true, "test-general-config-section");
+
+  BOOST_CHECK_NE(PrivilegeHelper::s_normalUid, PrivilegeHelper::s_privilegedUid);
+  BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(PrivilegeHelper::s_normalGid, PrivilegeHelper::s_privilegedGid);
+}
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(GroupConfig)
+{
+  const std::string CONFIG = R"CONFIG(
+    general
+    {
+      group daemon
+    }
+  )CONFIG";
+
+  configFile.parse(CONFIG, true, "test-general-config-section");
+
+  BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(PrivilegeHelper::s_normalUid, PrivilegeHelper::s_privilegedUid);
+  BOOST_CHECK_NE(PrivilegeHelper::s_normalGid, PrivilegeHelper::s_privilegedGid);
+}
+
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(UserAndGroupConfig)
 {
-  SKIP_IF_NOT_SUPERUSER();
+  const std::string CONFIG = R"CONFIG(
+    general
+    {
+      user daemon
+      group daemon
+    }
+  )CONFIG";
 
-  const std::string CONFIG =
-    "general\n"
-    "{\n"
-    "  user nobody\n"
-    "  group nogroup\n"
-    "}\n";
+  configFile.parse(CONFIG, true, "test-general-config-section");
 
-  ConfigFile configFile;
-
-  general::setConfigFile(configFile);
-  BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(configFile.parse(CONFIG, true, "test-general-config-section"));
-}
-
-BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(NoUserConfig)
-{
-  SKIP_IF_NOT_SUPERUSER();
-
-  const std::string CONFIG =
-    "general\n"
-    "{\n"
-    "  group nogroup\n"
-    "}\n";
-
-  ConfigFile configFile;
-
-  general::setConfigFile(configFile);
-  BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(configFile.parse(CONFIG, true, "test-general-config-section"));
-}
-
-BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(NoGroupConfig)
-{
-  const std::string CONFIG =
-    "general\n"
-    "{\n"
-    "  user nobody\n"
-    "}\n";
-
-  ConfigFile configFile;
-
-  general::setConfigFile(configFile);
-  BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW(configFile.parse(CONFIG, true, "test-general-config-section"));
+  BOOST_CHECK_NE(PrivilegeHelper::s_normalUid, PrivilegeHelper::s_privilegedUid);
+  BOOST_CHECK_NE(PrivilegeHelper::s_normalGid, PrivilegeHelper::s_privilegedGid);
 }
 
 #endif // HAVE_PRIVILEGE_DROP_AND_ELEVATE
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(InvalidUserConfig)
 {
-  const std::string CONFIG =
-    "general\n"
-    "{\n"
-    "  user\n"
-    "}\n";
-
-  ConfigFile configFile;
-  general::setConfigFile(configFile);
+  const std::string CONFIG = R"CONFIG(
+    general
+    {
+      user
+    }
+  )CONFIG";
 
   BOOST_CHECK_EXCEPTION(configFile.parse(CONFIG, true, "test-general-config-section"),
                         ConfigFile::Error,
@@ -138,14 +144,12 @@
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(InvalidGroupConfig)
 {
-  const std::string CONFIG =
-    "general\n"
-    "{\n"
-    "  group\n"
-    "}\n";
-
-  ConfigFile configFile;
-  general::setConfigFile(configFile);
+  const std::string CONFIG = R"CONFIG(
+    general
+    {
+      group
+    }
+  )CONFIG";
 
   BOOST_CHECK_EXCEPTION(configFile.parse(CONFIG, true, "test-general-config-section"),
                         ConfigFile::Error,