diff --git a/guix/scripts/install.scm b/guix/scripts/install.scm
index 63e625f266..bf11fc7b11 100644
--- a/guix/scripts/install.scm
+++ b/guix/scripts/install.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
 ;;; Copyright © 2019, 2020 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2022 ( <paren@disroot.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -80,4 +81,4 @@ (define opts
                         (list %package-default-options #f)
                         #:argument-handler handle-argument))
 
-  (guix-package* opts))
+  (guix-package* opts #:root-hint? #t))
diff --git a/guix/scripts/package.scm b/guix/scripts/package.scm
index 7d92598efa..8936c70e1f 100644
--- a/guix/scripts/package.scm
+++ b/guix/scripts/package.scm
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2018 Steve Sprang <scs@stevesprang.com>
 ;;; Copyright © 2022 Josselin Poiret <dev@jpoiret.xyz>
 ;;; Copyright © 2022 Antero Mejr <antero@mailbox.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2022 ( <paren@disroot.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -1077,12 +1078,21 @@ (define opts
     (parse-command-line args %options (list %default-options #f)
                         #:argument-handler handle-argument))
 
-  (guix-package* opts))
+  (guix-package* opts #:root-hint? #t))
 
-(define (guix-package* opts)
+(define* (guix-package* opts #:key (root-hint? #f))
   "Run the 'guix package' command on OPTS, an alist resulting for command-line
-option processing with 'parse-command-line'."
+option processing with 'parse-command-line'.  If ROOT-HINT? is #T, a hint is
+shown on the first usage of this procedure that informs users about Guix's
+support for per-user package management."
   (with-error-handling
+    (when (and root-hint?
+               (not (hint-given? 'package-root-hint))
+               (= (getuid) 0))
+      (record-hint 'package-root-hint)
+      (display-hint (G_ "`guix package' is user-specific, not system-wide,
+so running this command as root will affect only the `root' user.")))
+
     (or (process-query opts)
         (parameterize ((%store  (open-connection))
                        (%graft? (assoc-ref opts 'graft?)))
diff --git a/guix/scripts/pull.scm b/guix/scripts/pull.scm
index b0cc459d63..6e3d7db7c7 100644
--- a/guix/scripts/pull.scm
+++ b/guix/scripts/pull.scm
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2013-2015, 2017-2022 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2017 Marius Bakke <mbakke@fastmail.com>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020, 2021 Tobias Geerinckx-Rice <me@tobias.gr>
+;;; Copyright © 2022 ( <paren@disroot.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -834,6 +835,12 @@ (define (no-arguments arg _)
             (current-channels (profile-channels profile))
             (validate-pull    (assoc-ref opts 'validate-pull))
             (authenticate?    (assoc-ref opts 'authenticate-channels?)))
+       (when (and (not (hint-given? 'pull-root-hint))
+                  (= (getuid) 0))
+         (record-hint 'pull-root-hint)
+         (display-hint (G_ "`guix pull' is user-specific, not system-wide;
+running it as root will only affect the `root' user.")))
+
        (cond
         ((assoc-ref opts 'query)
          (process-query opts profile))
diff --git a/guix/scripts/remove.scm b/guix/scripts/remove.scm
index a46ad04d56..131649eace 100644
--- a/guix/scripts/remove.scm
+++ b/guix/scripts/remove.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
 ;;; Copyright © 2019, 2020 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2022 ( <paren@disroot.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -76,4 +77,4 @@ (define opts
                         (list %package-default-options #f)
                         #:argument-handler handle-argument))
 
-  (guix-package* opts))
+  (guix-package* opts #:root-hint? #t))
diff --git a/guix/scripts/shell.scm b/guix/scripts/shell.scm
index c115a00320..3ac7d80eb0 100644
--- a/guix/scripts/shell.scm
+++ b/guix/scripts/shell.scm
@@ -489,29 +489,6 @@ (define (validated-spec spec)
       (exp
        (pretty-print exp port)))))
 
-
-;;;
-;;; One-time hints.
-;;;
-
-(define (hint-directory)
-  "Return the directory name where previously given hints are recorded."
-  (string-append (cache-directory #:ensure? #f) "/hints"))
-
-(define (hint-file hint)
-  "Return the name of the file that marks HINT as already printed."
-  (string-append (hint-directory) "/" (symbol->string hint)))
-
-(define (record-hint hint)
-  "Mark HINT as already given."
-  (let ((file (hint-file hint)))
-    (mkdir-p (dirname file))
-    (close-fdes (open-fdes file (logior O_CREAT O_WRONLY)))))
-
-(define (hint-given? hint)
-  "Return true if HINT was already given."
-  (file-exists? (hint-file hint)))
-
 
 (define-command (guix-shell . args)
   (category development)
diff --git a/guix/scripts/upgrade.scm b/guix/scripts/upgrade.scm
index beb59cbe6f..dd14600fe4 100644
--- a/guix/scripts/upgrade.scm
+++ b/guix/scripts/upgrade.scm
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2019, 2020 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Jakub Kądziołka <kuba@kadziolka.net>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Simon Tournier <zimon.toutoune@gmail.com>
+;;; Copyright © 2022 ( <paren@disroot.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -87,4 +88,4 @@ (define opts
                               #f)
                         #:argument-handler handle-argument))
 
-  (guix-package* opts))
+  (guix-package* opts #:root-hint? #t))
diff --git a/guix/ui.scm b/guix/ui.scm
index a7acd41440..44607d80d2 100644
--- a/guix/ui.scm
+++ b/guix/ui.scm
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer@gmail.com>
 ;;; Copyright © 2018 Steve Sprang <scs@stevesprang.com>
 ;;; Copyright © 2022 Taiju HIGASHI <higashi@taiju.info>
+;;; Copyright © 2022 ( <paren@disroot.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -136,6 +137,11 @@ (define-module (guix ui)
             switch-to-generation*
             delete-generation*
 
+            hint-directory
+            hint-file
+            record-hint
+            hint-given?
+
             %default-message-language
             current-message-language
 
@@ -2032,6 +2038,29 @@ (define* (package-specification->name+version+output spec
                  (package-name->name+version name)))
     (values name version sub-drv)))
 
+
+;;;
+;;; One-time hints.
+;;;
+
+(define (hint-directory)
+  "Return the directory name where previously given hints are recorded."
+  (string-append (cache-directory #:ensure? #f) "/hints"))
+
+(define (hint-file hint)
+  "Return the name of the file that marks HINT as already printed."
+  (string-append (hint-directory) "/" (symbol->string hint)))
+
+(define (record-hint hint)
+  "Mark HINT as already given."
+  (let ((file (hint-file hint)))
+    (mkdir-p (dirname file))
+    (close-fdes (open-fdes file (logior O_CREAT O_WRONLY)))))
+
+(define (hint-given? hint)
+  "Return true if HINT was already given."
+  (file-exists? (hint-file hint)))
+
 
 ;;;
 ;;; Command-line option processing.
