diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index 9426c72e1e..0be8a2f4b5 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ Top
 * Keyboard Layout::             How the system interprets key strokes.
 * Locales::                     Language and cultural convention settings.
 * Services::                    Specifying system services.
-* Setuid Programs::             Programs running with elevated privileges.
+* Privileged Programs::         Programs running with elevated privileges.
 * X.509 Certificates::          Authenticating HTTPS servers.
 * Name Service Switch::         Configuring libc's name service switch.
 * Initial RAM Disk::            Linux-Libre bootstrapping.
@@ -16712,7 +16712,7 @@ System Configuration
 * Keyboard Layout::             How the system interprets key strokes.
 * Locales::                     Language and cultural convention settings.
 * Services::                    Specifying system services.
-* Setuid Programs::             Programs running with elevated privileges.
+* Privileged Programs::         Programs running with elevated privileges.
 * X.509 Certificates::          Authenticating HTTPS servers.
 * Name Service Switch::         Configuring libc's name service switch.
 * Initial RAM Disk::            Linux-Libre bootstrapping.
@@ -17159,9 +17159,9 @@ operating-system Reference
 Linux @dfn{pluggable authentication module} (PAM) services.
 @c FIXME: Add xref to PAM services section.
 
-@item @code{setuid-programs} (default: @code{%setuid-programs})
-List of @code{<setuid-program>}.  @xref{Setuid Programs}, for more
-information.
+@item @code{privileged-programs} (default: @code{%default-privileged-programs})
+List of @code{<privileged-program>}.  @xref{Privileged Programs}, for
+more information.
 
 @item @code{sudoers-file} (default: @code{%sudoers-specification})
 @cindex sudoers file
@@ -22760,10 +22760,10 @@ X Window
 
 @defvar screen-locker-service-type
 Type for a service that adds a package for a screen locker or screen
-saver to the set of setuid programs and/or add a PAM entry for it.  The
+saver to the set of privileged programs and/or add a PAM entry for it.  The
 value for this service is a @code{<screen-locker-configuration>} object.
 
-While the default behavior is to setup both a setuid program and PAM
+While the default behavior is to setup both a privileged program and PAM
 entry, these two methods are redundant.  Screen locker programs may not
 execute when PAM is configured and @code{setuid} is set on their
 executable.  In this case, @code{using-setuid?} can be set to @code{#f}.
@@ -23689,9 +23689,9 @@ Desktop Services
 system interfaces.  Additionally, adding a service of type
 @code{mate-desktop-service-type} adds the MATE metapackage to the system
 profile.  ``Adding Enlightenment'' means that @code{dbus} is extended
-appropriately, and several of Enlightenment's binaries are set as setuid,
-allowing Enlightenment's screen locker and other functionality to work as
-expected.
+appropriately, and several of Enlightenment's binaries are set as privileged
+programs, allowing Enlightenment's screen locker and other functionality to
+work as expected.
 
 The desktop environments in Guix use the Xorg display server by
 default.  If you'd like to use the newer display server protocol
@@ -26727,7 +26727,7 @@ Mail Services
 Make the following commands setgid to @code{smtpq} so they can be
 executed: @command{smtpctl}, @command{sendmail}, @command{send-mail},
 @command{makemap}, @command{mailq}, and @command{newaliases}.
-@xref{Setuid Programs}, for more information on setgid programs.
+@xref{Privileged Programs}, for more information on setgid programs.
 @end table
 @end deftp
 
@@ -38868,8 +38868,8 @@ Miscellaneous Services
 service is the Singularity package to use.
 
 The service does not install a daemon; instead, it installs helper programs as
-setuid-root (@pxref{Setuid Programs}) such that unprivileged users can invoke
-@command{singularity run} and similar commands.
+setuid-root (@pxref{Privileged Programs}) such that unprivileged users can
+invoke @command{singularity run} and similar commands.
 @end defvar
 
 @cindex Audit
@@ -39300,11 +39300,14 @@ Miscellaneous Services
 
 @c End of auto-generated fail2ban documentation.
 
-@node Setuid Programs
-@section Setuid Programs
+@node Privileged Programs
+@section Privileged Programs
 
+@cindex privileged programs
 @cindex setuid programs
 @cindex setgid programs
+@cindex capabilities, POSIX
+@cindex setcap
 Some programs need to run with elevated privileges, even when they are
 launched by unprivileged users.  A notorious example is the
 @command{passwd} program, which users can run to change their
@@ -39315,46 +39318,48 @@ Setuid Programs
 (@pxref{How Change Persona,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual},
 for more info about the setuid mechanism).
 
-The store itself @emph{cannot} contain setuid programs: that would be a
-security issue since any user on the system can write derivations that
+The store itself @emph{cannot} contain privileged programs: that would be
+a security issue since any user on the system can write derivations that
 populate the store (@pxref{The Store}).  Thus, a different mechanism is
-used: instead of changing the setuid or setgid bits directly on files that
-are in the store, we let the system administrator @emph{declare} which
+used: instead of directly granting permissions to files that are in
+the store, we let the system administrator @emph{declare} which
 programs should be entrusted with these additional privileges.
 
-The @code{setuid-programs} field of an @code{operating-system}
-declaration contains a list of @code{<setuid-program>} denoting the
+The @code{privileged-programs} field of an @code{operating-system}
+declaration contains a list of @code{<privileged-program>} denoting the
 names of programs to have a setuid or setgid bit set (@pxref{Using the
 Configuration System}).  For instance, the @command{mount.nfs} program,
 which is part of the nfs-utils package, with a setuid root can be
 designated like this:
 
 @lisp
-(setuid-program
-  (program (file-append nfs-utils "/sbin/mount.nfs")))
+(privileged-program
+  (program (file-append nfs-utils "/sbin/mount.nfs"))
+  (setuid? #t))
 @end lisp
 
 And then, to make @command{mount.nfs} setuid on your system, add the
 previous example to your operating system declaration by appending it to
-@code{%setuid-programs} like this:
+@code{%default-privileged-programs} like this:
 
 @lisp
 (operating-system
   ;; Some fields omitted...
-  (setuid-programs
-    (append (list (setuid-program
-                    (program (file-append nfs-utils "/sbin/mount.nfs"))))
-            %setuid-programs)))
+  (privileged-programs
+    (append (list (privileged-program
+                    (program (file-append nfs-utils "/sbin/mount.nfs"))
+                    (setuid? #t))
+            %default-privileged-programs)))
 @end lisp
 
-@deftp {Data Type} setuid-program
-This data type represents a program with a setuid or setgid bit set.
+@deftp {Data Type} privileged-program
+This data type represents a program with special privileges, such as setuid
 
 @table @asis
 @item @code{program}
-A file-like object having its setuid and/or setgid bit set.
+A file-like object to which all given privileges should apply.
 
-@item @code{setuid?} (default: @code{#t})
+@item @code{setuid?} (default: @code{#f})
 Whether to set user setuid bit.
 
 @item @code{setgid?} (default: @code{#f})
@@ -39371,18 +39376,18 @@ Setuid Programs
 @end table
 @end deftp
 
-A default set of setuid programs is defined by the
-@code{%setuid-programs} variable of the @code{(gnu system)} module.
+A default set of privileged programs is defined by the
+@code{%default-privileged-programs} variable of the @code{(gnu system)} module.
 
-@defvar %setuid-programs
-A list of @code{<setuid-program>} denoting common programs that are
-setuid-root.
+@defvar {Scheme Variable} %default-privileged-programs
+A list of @code{<privileged-program>} denoting common programs with
+elevated privileges.
 
 The list includes commands such as @command{passwd}, @command{ping},
 @command{su}, and @command{sudo}.
 @end defvar
 
-Under the hood, the actual setuid programs are created in the
+Under the hood, the actual privileged programs are created in the
 @file{/run/privileged/bin} directory at system activation time.  The
 files in this directory refer to the ``real'' binaries, which are in the
 store.
@@ -40276,7 +40281,7 @@ Invoking guix system
 @end quotation
 
 This effects all the configuration specified in @var{file}: user
-accounts, system services, global package list, setuid programs, etc.
+accounts, system services, global package list, privileged programs, etc.
 The command starts system services specified in @var{file} that are not
 currently running; if a service is currently running this command will
 arrange for it to be upgraded the next time it is stopped (e.g.@: by
@@ -41649,10 +41654,10 @@ Service Reference
 pointing to the given file.
 @end defvar
 
-@defvar setuid-program-service-type
-Type for the ``setuid-program service''.  This service collects lists of
+@defvar privileged-program-service-type
+Type for the ``privileged-program service''.  This service collects lists of
 executable file names, passed as gexps, and adds them to the set of
-setuid and setgid programs on the system (@pxref{Setuid Programs}).
+privileged programs on the system (@pxref{Privileged Programs}).
 @end defvar
 
 @defvar profile-service-type
diff --git a/gnu/packages/crypto.scm b/gnu/packages/crypto.scm
index 91acedbc97..5c711e0cc6 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/crypto.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/crypto.scm
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ (define-public tomb
      `(#:make-flags (list (string-append "PREFIX=" (assoc-ref %outputs "out")))
        ;; The "sudo" input is needed only to satisfy dependency checks in the
        ;; 'check' phase.  The "sudo" used at runtime should come from the
-       ;; system's setuid-programs, so ensure no reference is kept.
+       ;; system's privileged-programs, so ensure no reference is kept.
        #:disallowed-references (,sudo)
        ;; TODO: Build and install gtk and qt trays
        #:phases
diff --git a/gnu/services.scm b/gnu/services.scm
index 5cb7f37c06..a96d42099f 100644
--- a/gnu/services.scm
+++ b/gnu/services.scm
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ (define-module (gnu services)
   #:use-module (gnu packages bash)
   #:use-module (gnu packages hurd)
   #:use-module (gnu system privilege)
-  #:use-module (gnu system setuid)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-1)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-9)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-9 gnu)
diff --git a/gnu/system.scm b/gnu/system.scm
index 39c10dddcb..572a0c19df 100644
--- a/gnu/system.scm
+++ b/gnu/system.scm
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ (define-module (gnu system)
   #:use-module (gnu system locale)
   #:use-module (gnu system pam)
   #:use-module (gnu system linux-initrd)
+  #:use-module (gnu system privilege)
   #:use-module (gnu system setuid)
   #:use-module (gnu system uuid)
   #:use-module (gnu system file-systems)
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ (define-module (gnu system)
             operating-system-keyboard-layout
             operating-system-name-service-switch
             operating-system-pam-services
+            operating-system-privileged-programs
             operating-system-setuid-programs
             operating-system-skeletons
             operating-system-sudoers-file
@@ -172,6 +174,7 @@ (define-module (gnu system)
 
             local-host-aliases                    ;deprecated
             %root-account
+            %default-privileged-programs
             %setuid-programs
             %sudoers-specification
             %base-packages
@@ -295,7 +298,10 @@ (define-record-type* <operating-system> operating-system
 
   (pam-services operating-system-pam-services     ; list of PAM services
                 (default (base-pam-services)))
+  (privileged-programs operating-system-privileged-programs ; list of <privileged-program>
+                       (default %default-privileged-programs))
   (setuid-programs operating-system-setuid-programs
+                   ;; For backwards compatibility; will be removed.
                    (default %setuid-programs))    ; list of <setuid-program>
 
   (sudoers-file operating-system-sudoers-file     ; file-like
@@ -784,7 +790,8 @@ (define (operating-system-default-essential-services os)
            (service host-name-service-type host-name)
            procs root-fs
            (service privileged-program-service-type
-                    (operating-system-setuid-programs os))
+                    (append (operating-system-privileged-programs os)
+                            (operating-system-setuid-programs os)))
            (service profile-service-type
                     (operating-system-packages os))
            boot-fs non-boot-fs
@@ -825,7 +832,8 @@ (define (hurd-default-essential-services os)
               (service hosts-service-type
                        (local-host-entries host-name)))
           (service privileged-program-service-type
-                   (operating-system-setuid-programs os))
+                   (append (operating-system-privileged-programs os)
+                           (operating-system-setuid-programs os)))
           (service profile-service-type (operating-system-packages os)))))
 
 (define* (operating-system-services os)
@@ -1202,8 +1210,7 @@ (define (operating-system-environment-variables os)
     ;; when /etc/machine-id is missing.  Make sure these warnings are non-fatal.
     ("DBUS_FATAL_WARNINGS" . "0")))
 
-(define %setuid-programs
-  ;; Default set of setuid-root programs.
+(define %default-privileged-programs
   (let ((shadow (@ (gnu packages admin) shadow)))
     (map file-like->setuid-program
          (list (file-append shadow "/bin/passwd")
@@ -1225,6 +1232,12 @@ (define %setuid-programs
                (file-append util-linux "/bin/mount")
                (file-append util-linux "/bin/umount")))))
 
+(define %setuid-programs
+  ;; Do not add to this list or use it in new code!  It's defined only to ease
+  ;; transition to %default-privileged-programs and will be removed.  Some rare
+  ;; use cases already break, such as the obvious (remove … %setuid-programs).
+  '())
+
 (define %sudoers-specification
   ;; Default /etc/sudoers contents: 'root' and all members of the 'wheel'
   ;; group can do anything.  See
