diff --git a/rust/gui-client/src-tauri/src/client.rs b/rust/gui-client/src-tauri/src/client.rs
index 1c31120d0..7a1dbcb55 100644
--- a/rust/gui-client/src-tauri/src/client.rs
+++ b/rust/gui-client/src-tauri/src/client.rs
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ pub(crate) fn run() -> Result<()> {
 
     match cli.command {
         None => {
+            if cli.no_deep_links {
+                return run_gui(cli);
+            }
             match elevation::is_normal_user() {
                 // Our elevation is correct (not elevated), just run the GUI
                 Ok(true) => run_gui(cli),
@@ -69,10 +72,7 @@ pub(crate) fn run() -> Result<()> {
             Ok(())
         }
         Some(Cmd::SmokeTest) => {
-            if !elevation::is_normal_user()? {
-                anyhow::bail!("`smoke-test` must run as a normal user");
-            }
-
+            // Can't check elevation here because the Windows CI is always elevated
             let settings = settings::load_advanced_settings().unwrap_or_default();
             // Don't fix the log filter for smoke tests
             let logging::Handles {
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ struct Cli {
     /// If true, show a fake update notification that opens the Firezone release page when clicked
     #[arg(long, hide = true)]
     test_update_notification: bool,
-    /// Disable deep link registration and handling, for headless CI environments
+    /// For headless CI, disable deep links and allow the GUI to run as admin
     #[arg(long, hide = true)]
     no_deep_links: bool,
 }
diff --git a/rust/gui-client/src-tauri/src/client/elevation.rs b/rust/gui-client/src-tauri/src/client/elevation.rs
index 93e4aa521..cfff37847 100644
--- a/rust/gui-client/src-tauri/src/client/elevation.rs
+++ b/rust/gui-client/src-tauri/src/client/elevation.rs
@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@ mod imp {
 #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
 mod imp {
     use crate::client::gui::Error;
+    use anyhow::{Context as _, Result};
+    use std::{ffi::c_void, mem::size_of};
+    use windows::Win32::{
+        Foundation::{CloseHandle, HANDLE},
+        Security::{GetTokenInformation, TokenElevation, TOKEN_ELEVATION, TOKEN_QUERY},
+        System::Threading::{GetCurrentProcess, OpenProcessToken},
+    };
 
     // Returns true on Windows
     ///
@@ -55,7 +62,58 @@ mod imp {
     /// elevated, so we should warn users that it doesn't need elevation, but it's
     /// not a show-stopper if they accidentally "Run as admin".
     #[allow(clippy::unnecessary_wraps)]
-    pub(crate) fn is_normal_user() -> anyhow::Result<bool, Error> {
-        Ok(true)
+    pub(crate) fn is_normal_user() -> Result<bool, Error> {
+        let token = ProcessToken::our_process().map_err(Error::Other)?;
+        let elevated = token.is_elevated().map_err(Error::Other)?;
+        Ok(!elevated)
+    }
+
+    // https://stackoverflow.com/questions/8046097/how-to-check-if-a-process-has-the-administrative-rights/8196291#8196291
+    struct ProcessToken {
+        inner: HANDLE,
+    }
+
+    impl ProcessToken {
+        fn our_process() -> Result<Self> {
+            // SAFETY: Calling C APIs is unsafe
+            // `GetCurrentProcess` returns a pseudo-handle which does not need to be closed.
+            // Docs say nothing about thread safety. <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/processthreadsapi/nf-processthreadsapi-getcurrentprocess>
+            let our_proc = unsafe { GetCurrentProcess() };
+            let mut inner = HANDLE::default();
+            // SAFETY: We just created `inner`, and moving a `HANDLE` is safe.
+            // We assume that if `OpenProcessToken` fails, we don't need to close the `HANDLE`.
+            // Docs say nothing about threads or safety: <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/processthreadsapi/nf-processthreadsapi-openprocesstoken>
+            unsafe { OpenProcessToken(our_proc, TOKEN_QUERY, &mut inner) }
+                .context("`OpenProcessToken` failed")?;
+            Ok(Self { inner })
+        }
+
+        fn is_elevated(&self) -> Result<bool> {
+            let mut elevation = TOKEN_ELEVATION::default();
+            let token_elevation_sz = u32::try_from(size_of::<TOKEN_ELEVATION>())
+                .expect("`TOKEN_ELEVATION` size should fit into a u32");
+            let mut return_size = 0u32;
+            // SAFETY: Docs say nothing about threads or safety <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/securitybaseapi/nf-securitybaseapi-gettokeninformation>
+            // The type of `elevation` varies based on the 2nd parameter, but we hard-coded that.
+            // It should be fine.
+            unsafe {
+                GetTokenInformation(
+                    self.inner,
+                    TokenElevation,
+                    Some(&mut elevation as *mut _ as *mut c_void),
+                    token_elevation_sz,
+                    &mut return_size as *mut _,
+                )
+            }?;
+            Ok(elevation.TokenIsElevated == 1)
+        }
+    }
+
+    impl Drop for ProcessToken {
+        fn drop(&mut self) {
+            // SAFETY: We got `inner` from `OpenProcessToken` and didn't mutate it after that.
+            unsafe { CloseHandle(self.inner) }.expect("`CloseHandle` should always succeed");
+            self.inner = HANDLE::default();
+        }
     }
 }