diff --git a/src/cmd/cgo/internal/test/issue1435.go b/src/cmd/cgo/internal/test/issue1435.go
index a672e26aa0..1588d39ea9 100644
--- a/src/cmd/cgo/internal/test/issue1435.go
+++ b/src/cmd/cgo/internal/test/issue1435.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ package cgotest
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"internal/testenv"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
 	"sort"
@@ -145,6 +146,13 @@ func test1435(t *testing.T) {
 	if syscall.Getuid() != 0 {
 		t.Skip("skipping root only test")
 	}
+	if testing.Short() && testenv.Builder() != "" && os.Getenv("USER") == "swarming" {
+		// The Go build system's swarming user is known not to be root.
+		// Unfortunately, it sometimes appears as root due the current
+		// implementation of a no-network check using 'unshare -n -r'.
+		// Since this test does need root to work, we need to skip it.
+		t.Skip("skipping root only test on a non-root builder")
+	}
 	if runtime.GOOS == "linux" {
 		if _, err := os.Stat("/etc/alpine-release"); err == nil {
 			t.Skip("skipping failing test on alpine - go.dev/issue/19938")
diff --git a/src/syscall/exec_linux_test.go b/src/syscall/exec_linux_test.go
index e9919b6801..f894bbaae9 100644
--- a/src/syscall/exec_linux_test.go
+++ b/src/syscall/exec_linux_test.go
@@ -249,6 +249,14 @@ func TestUnshareMountNameSpace(t *testing.T) {
 		if testenv.SyscallIsNotSupported(err) {
 			t.Skipf("skipping: could not start process with CLONE_NEWNS: %v", err)
 		}
+		if testing.Short() && testenv.Builder() != "" && os.Getenv("USER") == "swarming" {
+			// The Go build system's swarming user is known not to support
+			// starting a process with CLONE_NEWNS.
+			// Unfortunately, it doesn't get recognized as such due the current
+			// implementation of a no-network check using 'unshare -n -r'.
+			// Since this test does need start this process, we need to skip it.
+			t.Skipf("skipping: could not start process with CLONE_NEWNS: %v", err)
+		}
 		t.Fatalf("unshare failed: %v\n%s", err, o)
 	}
 
@@ -301,6 +309,14 @@ func TestUnshareMountNameSpaceChroot(t *testing.T) {
 		if testenv.SyscallIsNotSupported(err) {
 			t.Skipf("skipping: could not start process with CLONE_NEWNS and Chroot %q: %v", d, err)
 		}
+		if testing.Short() && testenv.Builder() != "" && os.Getenv("USER") == "swarming" {
+			// The Go build system's swarming user is known not to support
+			// starting a process with CLONE_NEWNS and Chroot.
+			// Unfortunately, it doesn't get recognized as such due the current
+			// implementation of a no-network check using 'unshare -n -r'.
+			// Since this test does need start this process, we need to skip it.
+			t.Skipf("skipping: could not start process with CLONE_NEWNS and Chroot %q: %v", d, err)
+		}
 		t.Fatalf("unshare failed: %v\n%s", err, o)
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/syscall/exec_pdeathsig_test.go b/src/syscall/exec_pdeathsig_test.go
index 96ae27b494..46ce33443d 100644
--- a/src/syscall/exec_pdeathsig_test.go
+++ b/src/syscall/exec_pdeathsig_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ package syscall_test
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"fmt"
+	"internal/testenv"
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
@@ -23,6 +24,13 @@ func TestDeathSignal(t *testing.T) {
 	if os.Getuid() != 0 {
 		t.Skip("skipping root only test")
 	}
+	if testing.Short() && testenv.Builder() != "" && os.Getenv("USER") == "swarming" {
+		// The Go build system's swarming user is known not to be root.
+		// Unfortunately, it sometimes appears as root due the current
+		// implementation of a no-network check using 'unshare -n -r'.
+		// Since this test does need root to work, we need to skip it.
+		t.Skip("skipping root only test on a non-root builder")
+	}
 
 	// Copy the test binary to a location that a non-root user can read/execute
 	// after we drop privileges
diff --git a/src/syscall/syscall_linux_test.go b/src/syscall/syscall_linux_test.go
index ff128b1a19..1300fc046e 100644
--- a/src/syscall/syscall_linux_test.go
+++ b/src/syscall/syscall_linux_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package syscall_test
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"internal/testenv"
 	"io"
 	"io/fs"
 	"os"
@@ -198,6 +199,13 @@ func TestSyscallNoError(t *testing.T) {
 	if os.Getuid() != 0 {
 		t.Skip("skipping root only test")
 	}
+	if testing.Short() && testenv.Builder() != "" && os.Getenv("USER") == "swarming" {
+		// The Go build system's swarming user is known not to be root.
+		// Unfortunately, it sometimes appears as root due the current
+		// implementation of a no-network check using 'unshare -n -r'.
+		// Since this test does need root to work, we need to skip it.
+		t.Skip("skipping root only test on a non-root builder")
+	}
 
 	if runtime.GOOS == "android" {
 		t.Skip("skipping on rooted android, see issue 27364")
@@ -516,6 +524,13 @@ func TestSetuidEtc(t *testing.T) {
 	if syscall.Getuid() != 0 {
 		t.Skip("skipping root only test")
 	}
+	if testing.Short() && testenv.Builder() != "" && os.Getenv("USER") == "swarming" {
+		// The Go build system's swarming user is known not to be root.
+		// Unfortunately, it sometimes appears as root due the current
+		// implementation of a no-network check using 'unshare -n -r'.
+		// Since this test does need root to work, we need to skip it.
+		t.Skip("skipping root only test on a non-root builder")
+	}
 	if _, err := os.Stat("/etc/alpine-release"); err == nil {
 		t.Skip("skipping glibc test on alpine - go.dev/issue/19938")
 	}