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 b9090307ac..10cf32475b 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.
 ;;;
@@ -1078,12 +1079,16 @@ (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 root-hint?
+      (root-warning 'package-root-hint))
     (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 7b6c58dbc3..98aaf0b377 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.
 ;;;
@@ -826,6 +827,7 @@ (define (no-arguments arg _)
     (leave (G_ "~A: extraneous argument~%") arg))
 
   (with-error-handling
+    (root-warning 'pull-root-hint)
     (with-git-error-handling
      (let* ((opts         (parse-command-line args %options
                                               (list %default-options)
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/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 3512c761d2..0f1a603025 100644
--- a/guix/ui.scm
+++ b/guix/ui.scm
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ (define-module (guix ui)
             hint-file
             record-hint
             hint-given?
+            root-warning
 
             %default-message-language
             current-message-language
@@ -2086,6 +2087,13 @@ (define (hint-given? hint)
   "Return true if HINT was already given."
   (file-exists? (hint-file hint)))
 
+(define (root-warning hint-name)
+  (when (and (not (hint-given? hint-name))
+             (zero? (getuid)))
+    (record-hint hint-name)
+    (warning (G_ "this command is user-specific, so running it as root \
+will affect only the 'root' user~%"))))
+
 
 ;;;
 ;;; Command-line option processing.
