diff --git a/doc/test-writing-guidelines.txt b/doc/test-writing-guidelines.txt
index 573dd08d9..e4463a443 100644
--- a/doc/test-writing-guidelines.txt
+++ b/doc/test-writing-guidelines.txt
@@ -1699,6 +1699,84 @@ struct tst_test test = {
 };
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+2.2.31 Adding and removing capabilities
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Some tests may require the presence or absence of particular
+capabilities. Using the API provided by 'tst_capability.h' the test author can
+try to ensure that some capabilities are either present or absent during the
+test.
+
+For example; below we try to create a raw socket, which requires
+CAP_NET_ADMIN. During setup we should be able to do it, then during run it
+should be impossible. The LTP capability library should drop CAP_NET_RAW
+(assuming we have it) after setup completes.
+
+[source,c]
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#include "tst_test.h"
+#include "tst_capability.h"
+#include "tst_safe_net.h"
+
+#include "lapi/socket.h"
+
+static void run(void)
+{
+	TEST(socket(AF_INET, SOCK_RAW, 1));
+	if (TST_RET > -1) {
+		tst_res(TFAIL, "Created raw socket");
+	} else if (TST_ERR != EPERM) {
+		tst_res(TBROK | TTERRNO,
+			"Failed to create socket for wrong reason");
+	} else {
+		tst_res(TPASS | TTERRNO, "Didn't create raw socket");
+	}
+}
+
+static void setup(void)
+{
+	TEST(socket(AF_INET, SOCK_RAW, 1));
+	if (TST_RET < 0)
+		tst_brk(TCONF | TTERRNO, "We don't have CAP_NET_RAW to begin with");
+
+	SAFE_CLOSE(TST_RET);
+}
+
+static struct tst_test test = {
+	.setup = setup,
+	.test_all = run,
+	.caps = (struct tst_cap []) {
+		TST_CAP(TST_CAP_DROP, CAP_NET_RAW),
+		{}
+	},
+};
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+Look at the test struct at the bottom. We have filled in the 'caps' field with
+a NULL terminated array containing a single 'tst_cap'. This indicates to the
+library that we should drop CAP_NET_RAW if we have it. The capability will be
+dropped in between 'setup' and 'run'.
+
+[source,c]
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+static struct tst_test test = {
+	.test_all = run,
+	.caps = (struct tst_cap []) {
+		TST_CAP(TST_CAP_REQ, CAP_NET_RAW),
+		TST_CAP(TST_CAP_DROP, CAP_SYS_ADMIN),
+		{}
+	},
+};
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+Here we request 'CAP_NET_RAW', but drop 'CAP_SYS_ADMIN'. If the capability is
+in the permitted set, but not the effective set, the library will try to
+permit it. If it is not in the permitted set, then it will fail with 'TCONF'.
+
+This API does not require 'libcap' to be installed. However it has limited
+features relative to 'libcap'. It only tries to add or remove capabilities
+from the effective set. This means that tests which need to spawn child
+processes with various capabilities will probably need 'libcap'.
 
 2.3 Writing a testcase in shell
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/include/lapi/capability.h b/include/lapi/capability.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..02d7a9fda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/lapi/capability.h
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later */
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2019 Richard Palethorpe <rpalethorpe@suse.com>
+ */
+
+#ifndef LAPI_CAPABILITY_H
+#define LAPI_CAPABILITY_H
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_CAPABILITY_H
+# include <sys/capability.h>
+#endif
+
+#ifndef CAP_SYS_ADMIN
+# define CAP_SYS_ADMIN        21
+#endif
+
+#ifndef CAP_TO_INDEX
+# define CAP_TO_INDEX(x)     ((x) >> 5)
+#endif
+
+#ifndef CAP_TO_MASK
+# define CAP_TO_MASK(x)      (1 << ((x) & 31))
+#endif
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/tst_capability.h b/include/tst_capability.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..396679f2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/tst_capability.h
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later */
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2019 Richard Palethorpe <rpalethorpe@suse.com>
+ */
+/**
+ * @file tst_capability.h
+ *
+ * Limited capability operations without libcap.
+ */
+
+#ifndef TST_CAPABILITY_H
+#define TST_CAPABILITY_H
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+#include "lapi/capability.h"
+
+#define TST_CAP_DROP 1
+#define TST_CAP_REQ  1 << 1
+
+#define TST_CAP(action, capability) {action, capability, #capability}
+
+struct tst_cap_user_header {
+	uint32_t version;
+	int pid;
+};
+
+struct tst_cap_user_data {
+	uint32_t effective;
+	uint32_t permitted;
+	uint32_t inheritable;
+};
+
+struct tst_cap {
+	uint32_t action;
+	uint32_t id;
+	char *name;
+};
+
+int tst_capget(struct tst_cap_user_header *hdr,
+	       struct tst_cap_user_data *data);
+int tst_capset(struct tst_cap_user_header *hdr,
+	       const struct tst_cap_user_data *data);
+
+void tst_cap_action(struct tst_cap *cap);
+void tst_cap_setup(struct tst_cap *cap);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/tst_test.h b/include/tst_test.h
index 2e07ff16b..6eb558396 100644
--- a/include/tst_test.h
+++ b/include/tst_test.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "tst_path_has_mnt_flags.h"
 #include "tst_sys_conf.h"
 #include "tst_coredump.h"
+#include "tst_capability.h"
 
 /*
  * Reports testcase result.
@@ -200,6 +201,11 @@ struct tst_test {
 	 * test.
 	 */
 	const char *const *needs_kconfigs;
+
+	/*
+	 * NULL-terminated array of capability settings
+	 */
+	struct tst_cap *caps;
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/lib/tst_capability.c b/lib/tst_capability.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7e6c56e1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/tst_capability.c
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later */
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2019 Richard Palethorpe <rpalethorpe@suse.com>
+ */
+
+#include <string.h>
+
+#define TST_NO_DEFAULT_MAIN
+#include "tst_test.h"
+#include "tst_capability.h"
+
+#include "lapi/syscalls.h"
+
+/**
+ * Get the capabilities as decided by hdr.
+ *
+ * Note that the memory pointed to by data should be large enough to store two
+ * structs.
+ */
+int tst_capget(struct tst_cap_user_header *hdr,
+	       struct tst_cap_user_data *data)
+{
+	return tst_syscall(__NR_capget, hdr, data);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Set the capabilities as decided by hdr and data
+ *
+ * Note that the memory pointed to by data should be large enough to store two
+ * structs.
+ */
+int tst_capset(struct tst_cap_user_header *hdr,
+	       const struct tst_cap_user_data *data)
+{
+	return tst_syscall(__NR_capset, hdr, data);
+}
+
+static void do_cap_drop(uint32_t *set, uint32_t mask, const struct tst_cap *cap)
+{
+	if (*set & mask) {
+		tst_res(TINFO, "Dropping %s(%d)", cap->name, cap->id);
+		*set &= ~mask;
+	}
+}
+
+static void do_cap_req(uint32_t *set, uint32_t mask, const struct tst_cap *cap)
+{
+	if (!(*set & mask))
+		tst_brk(TCONF, "Need %s(%d)", cap->name, cap->id);
+
+	if (!(*set & mask)) {
+		tst_res(TINFO, "Permitting %s(%d)", cap->name, cap->id);
+		*set |= mask;
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * Add, check or remove capabilities
+ *
+ * Takes a NULL terminated array of structs which describe whether some
+ * capabilities are needed or not.
+ *
+ * It will attempt to drop or add capabilities to the effective set. It will
+ * try to detect if this is needed and whether it can or can't be done. If it
+ * clearly can not add a privilege to the effective set then it will return
+ * TCONF. However it may fail for some other reason and return TBROK.
+ *
+ * This only tries to change the effective set. Some tests may need to change
+ * the inheritable and ambient sets, so that child processes retain some
+ * capability.
+ */
+void tst_cap_action(struct tst_cap *cap)
+{
+	struct tst_cap_user_header hdr = {
+		.version = 0x20080522,
+		.pid = tst_syscall(__NR_gettid),
+	};
+	struct tst_cap_user_data cur[2] = { {0} };
+	struct tst_cap_user_data new[2] = { {0} };
+	uint32_t act = cap->action;
+	uint32_t *set = &new[CAP_TO_INDEX(cap->id)].effective;
+	uint32_t mask = CAP_TO_MASK(cap->id);
+
+	if (tst_capget(&hdr, cur))
+		tst_brk(TBROK | TTERRNO, "tst_capget()");
+
+	memcpy(new, cur, sizeof(new));
+
+	switch (act) {
+	case TST_CAP_DROP:
+		do_cap_drop(set, mask, cap);
+		break;
+	case TST_CAP_REQ:
+		do_cap_req(set, mask, cap);
+		break;
+	default:
+		tst_brk(TBROK, "Unrecognised action %d", cap->action);
+	}
+
+	if (memcmp(cur, new, sizeof(new)) && tst_capset(&hdr, new))
+		tst_brk(TBROK | TERRNO, "tst_capset(%s)", cap->name);
+}
+
+void tst_cap_setup(struct tst_cap *caps)
+{
+	struct tst_cap *cap;
+
+	for (cap = caps; cap->action; cap++)
+		tst_cap_action(cap);
+}
diff --git a/lib/tst_test.c b/lib/tst_test.c
index 245e287fa..8d5fbd1f9 100644
--- a/lib/tst_test.c
+++ b/lib/tst_test.c
@@ -888,6 +888,9 @@ static void do_test_setup(void)
 
 	if (main_pid != getpid())
 		tst_brk(TBROK, "Runaway child in setup()!");
+
+	if (tst_test->caps)
+		tst_cap_setup(tst_test->caps);
 }
 
 static void do_cleanup(void)
