diff --git a/kernel-src/include/kernel/elf.h b/kernel-src/include/kernel/elf.h
index 28aff67a..8ff64f01 100644
--- a/kernel-src/include/kernel/elf.h
+++ b/kernel-src/include/kernel/elf.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #define AT_PHENT 4
 #define AT_PHNUM 5
 #define AT_ENTRY 9
+#define AT_SECURE 23
 #define AT_EXECFN 31
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	auxv64_t phent;
 	auxv64_t entry;
 	auxv64_t execfn;
+	auxv64_t secure;
 	auxv64_t null;
 } auxv64list_t;
 
diff --git a/kernel-src/sys/elf.c b/kernel-src/sys/elf.c
index 3b60dd84..484b841d 100644
--- a/kernel-src/sys/elf.c
+++ b/kernel-src/sys/elf.c
@@ -162,7 +162,9 @@ int elf_load(vnode_t *vnode, void *base, void **entry, char **interpreter, auxv6
 	auxv64->phnum.type = AT_PHNUM;
 	auxv64->phent.type = AT_PHENT;
 	auxv64->entry.type = AT_ENTRY;
-	
+	auxv64->secure.type = AT_SECURE;
+
+	auxv64->secure.val = 0; // set later by whoever called elf_load
 	auxv64->phnum.val = header.phcount;
 	auxv64->phent.val = header.phsize;
 	auxv64->entry.val = header.entry + (uintptr_t)base;
diff --git a/kernel-src/sys/syscalls/execve.c b/kernel-src/sys/syscalls/execve.c
index d067de4e..386fb69c 100644
--- a/kernel-src/sys/syscalls/execve.c
+++ b/kernel-src/sys/syscalls/execve.c
@@ -258,12 +258,6 @@ static syscallret_t execve(context_t *context, char *upath, char *uargv[], char
 		VOP_RELEASE(interpnode);
 	}
 
-	stack = elf_preparestack(STACK_TOP, &auxv64, argv, envp, path);
-	if (stack == NULL) {
-		ret.errno = ENOMEM;
-		goto error;
-	}
-
 	vattr_t vattr;
 	VOP_LOCK(node);
 	ret.errno = VOP_GETATTR(node, &vattr, NULL);
@@ -271,6 +265,26 @@ static syscallret_t execve(context_t *context, char *upath, char *uargv[], char
 	if (ret.errno)
 		goto error;
 
+	int suid = -1;
+	int sgid = -1;
+
+	if (vattr.mode & V_ATTR_MODE_SUID) {
+		suid = vattr.uid;
+		auxv64.secure.val = 1;
+	}
+
+	if (vattr.mode & V_ATTR_MODE_SGID) {
+		sgid = vattr.gid;
+		auxv64.secure.val = 1;
+	}
+
+	stack = elf_preparestack(STACK_TOP, &auxv64, argv, envp, path);
+	if (stack == NULL) {
+		ret.errno = ENOMEM;
+		goto error;
+	}
+
+
 	ret.ret = 0;
 
 	proc_stop_other_threads();
@@ -297,15 +311,6 @@ static syscallret_t execve(context_t *context, char *upath, char *uargv[], char
 	CTX_SP(context) = (uint64_t)stack;
 	CTX_IP(context) = (uint64_t)entry;
 
-	int suid = -1;
-	int sgid = -1;
-
-	if (vattr.mode & V_ATTR_MODE_SUID)
-		suid = vattr.uid;
-
-	if (vattr.mode & V_ATTR_MODE_SGID)
-		sgid = vattr.gid;
-
 	cred_doexec(&current_thread()->proc->cred, suid, sgid);
 
 	error: