diff --git a/init.d/codedeploy-agent b/init.d/codedeploy-agent
index d4eadf42..33849406 100755
--- a/init.d/codedeploy-agent
+++ b/init.d/codedeploy-agent
@@ -17,11 +17,14 @@
 #                    the deployment artifacts on to this instance.
 ### END INIT INFO
 
+# Source function library.
+. /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions
 
 RETVAL=0
 [ -f /etc/profile ] && [ "`stat --format '%U %G' /etc/profile`" == "root root" ] && source /etc/profile
 
 prog="codedeploy-agent"
+USER=""
 AGENT_ROOT="/opt/codedeploy-agent/"
 INSTALLER="/opt/codedeploy-agent/bin/install"
 BIN="/opt/codedeploy-agent/bin/codedeploy-agent"
@@ -29,34 +32,54 @@ BIN="/opt/codedeploy-agent/bin/codedeploy-agent"
 start() {
         echo -n $"Starting $prog:"
         cd $AGENT_ROOT
-        nohup $BIN start >/dev/null </dev/null 2>&1  # Try to start the server
+        if [ $USER ]; then
+          daemon --user=$USER $BIN start >/dev/null </dev/null 2>&1 # Try to start the server
+        else
+          nohup $BIN start >/dev/null </dev/null 2>&1  # Try to start the server
+        fi
         exit $?
 }
 
 stop() {
         echo -n $"Stopping $prog:"
         cd $AGENT_ROOT
-        nohup $BIN stop >/dev/null </dev/null 2>&1  # Try to stop the server
+        if [ $USER ]; then
+          daemon --user=$USER $BIN stop >/dev/null </dev/null 2>&1  # Try to stop the server
+        else
+          nohup $BIN stop >/dev/null </dev/null 2>&1  # Try to stop the server
+        fi
         exit $?
 }
 
 restart() {
         echo -n $"Restarting $prog:"
         cd $AGENT_ROOT
-        nohup $BIN restart >/dev/null </dev/null 2>&1  # Try to restart the server
+        if [ $USER ]; then
+          daemon --user=$USER $BIN restart >/dev/null </dev/null 2>&1  # Try to restart the server
+        else
+          nohup $BIN restart >/dev/null </dev/null 2>&1  # Try to restart the server
+        fi
         exit $?
 }
 
 status() {
         cd $AGENT_ROOT
-        $BIN status # Status of the server
+        if [ $USER ]; then
+          daemon --user=$USER $BIN status # Status of the server
+        else
+          $BIN status # Status of the server
+        fi
         exit $?
 }
 
 update() {
         echo -n $"Updating $prog:"
         cd $AGENT_ROOT
-        $INSTALLER auto #Update the agent
+        if [ $USER ]; then
+          daemon --user=$USER sudo $INSTALLER auto #Update the agent
+        else
+          $INSTALLER auto #Update the agent
+        fi
 }
 
 case "$1" in
diff --git a/lib/instance_agent/platform/linux_util.rb b/lib/instance_agent/platform/linux_util.rb
index e0e59b65..402f308d 100644
--- a/lib/instance_agent/platform/linux_util.rb
+++ b/lib/instance_agent/platform/linux_util.rb
@@ -8,12 +8,25 @@ def self.supported_oses()
       ['linux']
     end
 
-    def self.prepare_script_command(script, absolute_path)
-      script_command = absolute_path
-      if(!script.runas.nil?)
-        script_command = 'su ' + script.runas + ' -c ' + absolute_path
+    def self.prepare_script_command(script, absolute_cmd_path)
+      runas = !!script.runas
+      sudo = !!script.sudo
+
+      if runas && sudo
+        return 'sudo su ' + script.runas + ' -c ' + absolute_cmd_path
+      end
+
+      if runas && !sudo
+        return 'su ' + script.runas + ' -c ' + absolute_cmd_path
       end
-      script_command
+
+      if !runas && sudo
+        return 'sudo ' + absolute_cmd_path
+      end
+
+      # If neither sudo or runas is specified, execute the
+      # command as the code deploy agent user 
+      absolute_cmd_path
     end
 
     def self.quit()
diff --git a/lib/instance_agent/plugins/codedeploy/application_specification/application_specification.rb b/lib/instance_agent/plugins/codedeploy/application_specification/application_specification.rb
index 61a6b31e..b3d7d751 100644
--- a/lib/instance_agent/plugins/codedeploy/application_specification/application_specification.rb
+++ b/lib/instance_agent/plugins/codedeploy/application_specification/application_specification.rb
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ def parse_hooks(hooks_hash)
                   current_hook_scripts << InstanceAgent::Plugins::CodeDeployPlugin::ApplicationSpecification::ScriptInfo.new(script['location'].to_s.strip,
                   {
                     :runas => script.has_key?('runas') && !script['runas'].nil? ? script['runas'].to_s.strip : nil,
+                    :sudo => script['sudo'],
                     :timeout => script['timeout']
                   })
                 else
@@ -140,4 +141,4 @@ def parse_context(context)
       end
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/lib/instance_agent/plugins/codedeploy/application_specification/script_info.rb b/lib/instance_agent/plugins/codedeploy/application_specification/script_info.rb
index 526751b8..95ce6354 100644
--- a/lib/instance_agent/plugins/codedeploy/application_specification/script_info.rb
+++ b/lib/instance_agent/plugins/codedeploy/application_specification/script_info.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ module ApplicationSpecification
         #Helper Class for storing data parsed from hook script maps
         class ScriptInfo
 
-          attr_reader :location, :runas, :timeout
+          attr_reader :location, :runas, :sudo, :timeout
           def initialize(location, opts = {})
             location = location.to_s
             if(location.empty?)
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ def initialize(location, opts = {})
             end
             @location = location
             @runas = opts[:runas]
+            @sudo = opts[:sudo]
             @timeout = opts[:timeout] || 3600
             @timeout = @timeout.to_i
             if(@timeout <= 0)
@@ -24,4 +25,4 @@ def initialize(location, opts = {})
       end
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/test/instance_agent/platform/linux_util_test.rb b/test/instance_agent/platform/linux_util_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c51c959b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/instance_agent/platform/linux_util_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+
+class LinuxUtilTest < InstanceAgentTestCase
+  context 'Testing building command with sudo' do
+    setup do
+      @script_mock = Struct.new :sudo, :runas
+    end
+
+    should 'return command with sudo with runas user deploy' do
+      mock = @script_mock.new true, "deploy"
+      assert_equal 'sudo su deploy -c my_script.sh',
+                   InstanceAgent::LinuxUtil.prepare_script_command(mock, "my_script.sh")
+    end
+
+    should 'return command without sudo with runas user deploy' do
+      mock = @script_mock.new nil, "deploy"
+      assert_equal 'su deploy -c my_script.sh',
+                   InstanceAgent::LinuxUtil.prepare_script_command(mock, "my_script.sh")
+    end
+
+    should 'return command without sudo or runas user' do
+      mock = @script_mock.new nil, nil
+      assert_equal 'my_script.sh',
+                   InstanceAgent::LinuxUtil.prepare_script_command(mock, "my_script.sh")
+    end
+
+    should 'return command with sudo' do
+      mock = @script_mock.new true, nil
+      assert_equal 'sudo my_script.sh',
+                   InstanceAgent::LinuxUtil.prepare_script_command(mock, "my_script.sh")
+    end
+
+  end
+end
+