diff --git a/pcap-dlpi.c b/pcap-dlpi.c
index 8f938fe..ec2f32d 100644
--- a/pcap-dlpi.c
+++ b/pcap-dlpi.c
@@ -143,10 +143,9 @@ static int dl_doattach(int, int, char *);
 #ifdef DL_HP_RAWDLS
 static int dl_dohpuxbind(int, char *);
 #endif
-static int dlattachreq(int, bpf_u_int32, char *);
+static int dlpromiscon(pcap_t *, bpf_u_int32);
 static int dlbindreq(int, bpf_u_int32, char *);
 static int dlbindack(int, char *, char *, int *);
-static int dlpromisconreq(int, bpf_u_int32, char *);
 static int dlokack(int, const char *, char *, char *);
 static int dlinforeq(int, char *);
 static int dlinfoack(int, char *, char *);
@@ -610,9 +609,12 @@ pcap_activate_dlpi(pcap_t *p)
 		/*
 		** Enable promiscuous (not necessary on send FD)
 		*/
-		if (dlpromisconreq(p->fd, DL_PROMISC_PHYS, p->errbuf) < 0 ||
-		    dlokack(p->fd, "promisc_phys", (char *)buf, p->errbuf) < 0)
+		status = dlpromiscon(p, DL_PROMISC_PHYS);
+		if (status < 0) {
+			if (status == PCAP_ERROR_PERM_DENIED)
+				status = PCAP_ERROR_PROMISC_PERM_DENIED;
 			goto bad;
+		}
 
 		/*
 		** Try to enable multicast (you would have thought
@@ -620,8 +622,8 @@ pcap_activate_dlpi(pcap_t *p)
 		** HP-UX or SINIX) (Not necessary on send FD)
 		*/
 #if !defined(__hpux) && !defined(sinix)
-		if (dlpromisconreq(p->fd, DL_PROMISC_MULTI, p->errbuf) < 0 ||
-		    dlokack(p->fd, "promisc_multi", (char *)buf, p->errbuf) < 0)
+		status = dlpromiscon(p, DL_PROMISC_MULTI);
+		if (status < 0)
 			status = PCAP_WARNING;
 #endif
 	}
@@ -636,15 +638,20 @@ pcap_activate_dlpi(pcap_t *p)
 	    !p->opt.promisc &&
 #endif
 #ifdef HAVE_SOLARIS
-	    !isatm &&
+	    !isatm
 #endif
-	    (dlpromisconreq(p->fd, DL_PROMISC_SAP, p->errbuf) < 0 ||
-	    dlokack(p->fd, "promisc_sap", (char *)buf, p->errbuf) < 0)) {
-		/* Not fatal if promisc since the DL_PROMISC_PHYS worked */
-		if (p->opt.promisc)
-			status = PCAP_WARNING;
-		else
-			goto bad;
+	    ) {
+		status = dlpromiscon(p, DL_PROMISC_SAP);
+		if (status < 0) {
+			/*
+			 * Not fatal, since the DL_PROMISC_PHYS mode worked.
+			 * Report it as a warning, however.
+			 */
+			if (p->opt.promisc)
+				status = PCAP_WARNING;
+			else
+				goto bad;
+		}
 	}
 #endif /* sinix */
 
@@ -815,11 +822,15 @@ split_dname(char *device, int *unitp, char *ebuf)
 static int
 dl_doattach(int fd, int ppa, char *ebuf)
 {
+	dl_attach_req_t	req;
 	bpf_u_int32 buf[MAXDLBUF];
 	int err;
 
-	if (dlattachreq(fd, ppa, ebuf) < 0)
+	req.dl_primitive = DL_ATTACH_REQ;
+	req.dl_ppa = ppa;
+	if (send_request(fd, (char *)&req, sizeof(req), "attach", ebuf) < 0)
 		return (PCAP_ERROR);
+
 	err = dlokack(fd, "attach", (char *)buf, ebuf);
 	if (err < 0)
 		return (err);
@@ -877,6 +888,27 @@ dl_dohpuxbind(int fd, char *ebuf)
 }
 #endif
 
+#define STRINGIFY(n)	#n
+
+static int
+dlpromiscon(pcap_t *p, bpf_u_int32 level)
+{
+	dl_promiscon_req_t req;
+	bpf_u_int32 buf[MAXDLBUF];
+	int err;
+
+	req.dl_primitive = DL_PROMISCON_REQ;
+	req.dl_level = level;
+	if (send_request(p->fd, (char *)&req, sizeof(req), "promiscon",
+	    p->errbuf) < 0)
+		return (PCAP_ERROR);
+	err = dlokack(p->fd, "promiscon" STRINGIFY(level), (char *)buf,
+	    p->errbuf);
+	if (err < 0)
+		return (err);
+	return (0);
+}
+
 int
 pcap_platform_finddevs(pcap_if_t **alldevsp, char *errbuf)
 {
@@ -1221,17 +1253,6 @@ dlprim(bpf_u_int32 prim)
 	}
 }
 
-static int
-dlattachreq(int fd, bpf_u_int32 ppa, char *ebuf)
-{
-	dl_attach_req_t	req;
-
-	req.dl_primitive = DL_ATTACH_REQ;
-	req.dl_ppa = ppa;
-
-	return (send_request(fd, (char *)&req, sizeof(req), "attach", ebuf));
-}
-
 static int
 dlbindreq(int fd, bpf_u_int32 sap, char *ebuf)
 {
@@ -1259,17 +1280,6 @@ dlbindack(int fd, char *bufp, char *ebuf, int *uerror)
 	return (recv_ack(fd, DL_BIND_ACK_SIZE, "bind", bufp, ebuf, uerror));
 }
 
-static int
-dlpromisconreq(int fd, bpf_u_int32 level, char *ebuf)
-{
-	dl_promiscon_req_t req;
-
-	req.dl_primitive = DL_PROMISCON_REQ;
-	req.dl_level = level;
-
-	return (send_request(fd, (char *)&req, sizeof(req), "promiscon", ebuf));
-}
-
 static int
 dlokack(int fd, const char *what, char *bufp, char *ebuf)
 {
diff --git a/pcap-libdlpi.c b/pcap-libdlpi.c
index 87cd08b..56dadc4 100644
--- a/pcap-libdlpi.c
+++ b/pcap-libdlpi.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ static const char rcsid[] _U_ =
 #include "dlpisubs.h"
 
 /* Forwards. */
+static int dlpromiscon(pcap_t *, bpf_u_int32);
 static int pcap_read_libdlpi(pcap_t *, int, pcap_handler, u_char *);
 static int pcap_inject_libdlpi(pcap_t *, const void *, size_t);
 static void pcap_close_libdlpi(pcap_t *);
@@ -139,34 +140,43 @@ pcap_activate_libdlpi(pcap_t *p)
 
 	/* Enable promiscuous mode. */
 	if (p->opt.promisc) {
-		retv = dlpi_promiscon(p->dlpi_hd, DL_PROMISC_PHYS);
-		if (retv != DLPI_SUCCESS) {
-			pcap_libdlpi_err(p->opt.source,
-			    "dlpi_promisc(PHYSICAL)", retv, p->errbuf);
+		err = dlpromiscon(p, DL_PROMISC_PHYS);
+		if (err < 0) {
+			/*
+			 * "You don't have permission to capture on
+			 * this device" and "you don't have permission
+			 * to capture in promiscuous mode on this
+			 * device" are different; let the user know,
+			 * so if they can't get permission to
+			 * capture in promiscuous mode, they can at
+			 * least try to capture in non-promiscuous
+			 * mode.
+			 *
+			 * XXX - you might have to capture in
+			 * promiscuous mode to see outgoing packets.
+			 */
+			if (err == PCAP_ERROR_PERM_DENIED)
+				err = PCAP_ERROR_PROMISC_PERM_DENIED;
 			goto bad;
 		}
 	} else {
 		/* Try to enable multicast. */
-		retv = dlpi_promiscon(p->dlpi_hd, DL_PROMISC_MULTI);
-		if (retv != DLPI_SUCCESS) {
-			pcap_libdlpi_err(p->opt.source, "dlpi_promisc(MULTI)",
-			    retv, p->errbuf);
+		err = dlpromiscon(p, DL_PROMISC_MULTI);
+		if (err < 0)
 			goto bad;
-		}
 	}
 
 	/* Try to enable SAP promiscuity. */
-	retv = dlpi_promiscon(p->dlpi_hd, DL_PROMISC_SAP);
-	if (retv != DLPI_SUCCESS) {
-		if (p->opt.promisc) {
-			pcap_libdlpi_err(p->opt.source, "dlpi_promisc(SAP)",
-			    retv, p->errbuf);
+	err = dlpromiscon(p, DL_PROMISC_SAP);
+	if (err < 0) {
+		/*
+		 * Not fatal, since the DL_PROMISC_PHYS mode worked.
+		 * Report it as a warning, however.
+		 */
+		if (p->opt.promisc)
+			err = PCAP_WARNING;
+		else
 			goto bad;
-		}
-
-		/* Not fatal, since the DL_PROMISC_PHYS mode worked. */
-		fprintf(stderr, "WARNING: dlpi_promisc(SAP) failed on"
-		    " %s:(%s)\n", p->opt.source, dlpi_strerror(retv));
 	}
 
 	/* Determine link type.  */
@@ -219,6 +229,26 @@ bad:
 	return (err);
 }
 
+#define STRINGIFY(n)	#n
+
+static int
+dlpromiscon(pcap_t *p, bpf_u_int32 level)
+{
+	int err;
+
+	retv = dlpi_promiscon(p->hd, level);
+	if (retv != DLPI_SUCCESS) {
+		if (retv == DL_SYSERR && errno == EACCES)
+			err = PCAP_ERROR_PERM_DENIED;
+		else
+			err = PCAP_ERROR;
+		pcap_libdlpi_err(p->opt.source, "dlpi_promiscon" STRINGIFY(level),
+		    retv, p->errbuf);
+		return (err);
+	}
+	return (0);
+}
+
 /*
  * In Solaris, the "standard" mechanism" i.e SIOCGLIFCONF will only find
  * network links that are plumbed and are up. dlpi_walk(3DLPI) will find
diff --git a/pcap.c b/pcap.c
index 143b712..4b64a38 100644
--- a/pcap.c
+++ b/pcap.c
@@ -470,7 +470,8 @@ fail:
 		snprintf(errbuf, PCAP_ERRBUF_SIZE, "%s: %s", source,
 		    p->errbuf);
 	else if (status == PCAP_ERROR_NO_SUCH_DEVICE ||
-	    status == PCAP_ERROR_PERM_DENIED)
+	    status == PCAP_ERROR_PERM_DENIED ||
+	    status == PCAP_ERROR_PROMISC_PERM_DENIED)
 		snprintf(errbuf, PCAP_ERRBUF_SIZE, "%s: %s (%s)", source,
 		    pcap_statustostr(status), p->errbuf);
 	else
@@ -1149,6 +1150,9 @@ pcap_statustostr(int errnum)
 
 	case PCAP_ERROR_CANTSET_TSTAMP_TYPE:
 		return ("That device doesn't support setting the time stamp type");
+
+	case PCAP_ERROR_PROMISC_PERM_DENIED:
+		return ("You don't have permission to capture in promiscuous mode on that device");
 	}
 	(void)snprintf(ebuf, sizeof ebuf, "Unknown error: %d", errnum);
 	return(ebuf);
diff --git a/pcap/pcap.h b/pcap/pcap.h
index 172670b..073ce67 100644
--- a/pcap/pcap.h
+++ b/pcap/pcap.h
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ typedef void (*pcap_handler)(u_char *, const struct pcap_pkthdr *,
 #define PCAP_ERROR_PERM_DENIED		-8	/* no permission to open the device */
 #define PCAP_ERROR_IFACE_NOT_UP		-9	/* interface isn't up */
 #define PCAP_ERROR_CANTSET_TSTAMP_TYPE	-10	/* this device doesn't support setting the time stamp type */
+#define PCAP_ERROR_PROMISC_PERM_DENIED	-11	/* you don't have permission to capture in promiscuous mode */
 
 /*
  * Warning codes for the pcap API.
diff --git a/pcap_activate.3pcap b/pcap_activate.3pcap
index c93df9e..f963d35 100644
--- a/pcap_activate.3pcap
+++ b/pcap_activate.3pcap
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ if the capture source specified when the handle was created doesn't
 exist,
 .B PCAP_ERROR_PERM_DENIED
 if the process doesn't have permission to open the capture source,
+.B PCAP_ERROR_PROMISC_PERM_DENIED
+if the process has permission to open the capture source but doesn't
+have permission to put it into promiscuous mode,
 .B PCAP_ERROR_RFMON_NOTSUP
 if monitor mode was specified but the capture source doesn't support
 monitor mode,