diff --git a/src/exec_nopty.c b/src/exec_nopty.c
index 01c41bb9c..059d9994f 100644
--- a/src/exec_nopty.c
+++ b/src/exec_nopty.c
@@ -476,18 +476,21 @@ exec_nopty(struct command_details *details, struct command_status *cstat)
     fill_exec_closure_nopty(&ec, cstat, details, errpipe[0]);
 
     if (ISSET(details->flags, CD_INTERCEPT|CD_LOG_SUBCMDS)) {
-	bool success = true;
+	int rc = 1;
 
 	/* Create event and closure for intercept mode. */
 	ec.intercept = intercept_setup(intercept_sv[0], ec.evbase, details);
 	if (ec.intercept == NULL) {
-	    success = false;
+	    rc = -1;
 	} else if (ISSET(details->flags, CD_USE_PTRACE)) {
-	    /* Seize control of the command using ptrace(2). */
-	    if (!exec_ptrace_seize(ec.cmnd_pid))
-		success = false;
+	    /* Try to seize control of the command using ptrace(2). */
+	    rc = exec_ptrace_seize(ec.cmnd_pid);
+	    if (rc == 0) {
+		/* There is another tracer present. */
+		CLR(details->flags, CD_INTERCEPT|CD_LOG_SUBCMDS|CD_USE_PTRACE);
+	    }
 	}
-	if (!success)
+	if (rc == -1)
 	    terminate_command(ec.cmnd_pid, true);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/exec_ptrace.c b/src/exec_ptrace.c
index cb0e39023..45ea028dd 100644
--- a/src/exec_ptrace.c
+++ b/src/exec_ptrace.c
@@ -611,27 +611,43 @@ set_exec_filter(void)
 
 /*
  * Seize control of the specified child process which must be in
- * ptrace wait.  Returns true on success and false on failure.
+ * ptrace wait.  Returns true on success, false if child is already
+ * being traced and -1 on error.
  */
-bool
+int
 exec_ptrace_seize(pid_t child)
 {
     const long ptrace_opts = PTRACE_O_TRACESECCOMP|PTRACE_O_TRACECLONE|
 			     PTRACE_O_TRACEFORK|PTRACE_O_TRACEVFORK;
+    int ret = -1;
     int status;
     debug_decl(exec_ptrace_seize, SUDO_DEBUG_UTIL);
 
     /* Seize control of the child process. */
     if (ptrace(PTRACE_SEIZE, child, NULL, ptrace_opts) == -1) {
-	sudo_warn("ptrace(PTRACE_SEIZE, %d, NULL, 0x%lx)", (int)child,
-	    ptrace_opts);
-	debug_return_bool(false);
+	/*
+	 * If the process is already being traced, we will get EPERM.
+	 * We don't treat that as a fatal error since we want it to be
+	 * possible to run sudo inside a sudo shell with intercept enabled.
+	 */
+	if (errno != EPERM) {
+	    sudo_warn("ptrace(PTRACE_SEIZE, %d, NULL, 0x%lx)", (int)child,
+		ptrace_opts);
+	    goto done;
+	}
+	sudo_debug_printf(SUDO_DEBUG_WARN,
+	    "%s: unable to trace process %d, already being traced?",
+		__func__, (int)child);
+	ret = false;
     }
+
     /* The child is suspended waiting for SIGUSR1, wake it up. */
     if (kill(child, SIGUSR1) == -1) {
 	sudo_warn("kill(%d, SIGUSR1)", child);
-	debug_return_bool(false);
+	goto done;
     }
+    if (!ret)
+	goto done;
 
     /* Wait for the child to enter trace stop and continue it. */
     for (;;) {
@@ -640,18 +656,21 @@ exec_ptrace_seize(pid_t child)
 	if (errno == EINTR)
 	    continue;
 	sudo_warn(U_("%s: %s"), __func__, "waitpid");
-	debug_return_bool(false);
+	goto done;
     }
     if (!WIFSTOPPED(status)) {
 	sudo_warnx(U_("process %d exited unexpectedly"), (int)child);
-	debug_return_bool(false);
+	goto done;
     }
     if (ptrace(PTRACE_CONT, child, NULL, (long)SIGUSR1) == -1) {
 	sudo_warn("ptrace(PTRACE_CONT, %d, NULL, SIGUSR1)", (int)child);
-	debug_return_bool(false);
+	goto done;
     }
 
-    debug_return_bool(true);
+    ret = true;
+
+done:
+    debug_return_int(ret);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -921,7 +940,7 @@ exec_ptrace_handled(pid_t pid, int status, void *intercept)
 }
 
 /* STUB */
-bool
+int
 exec_ptrace_seize(pid_t child)
 {
     return true;
diff --git a/src/exec_pty.c b/src/exec_pty.c
index 3e9250499..3aece40d5 100644
--- a/src/exec_pty.c
+++ b/src/exec_pty.c
@@ -994,8 +994,12 @@ backchannel_cb(int fd, int what, void *v)
 	    sudo_debug_printf(SUDO_DEBUG_INFO, "executed %s, pid %d",
 		ec->details->command, (int)ec->cmnd_pid);
 	    if (ISSET(ec->details->flags, CD_USE_PTRACE)) {
-		/* Seize control of the command using ptrace(2). */
-		if (!exec_ptrace_seize(ec->cmnd_pid)) {
+		/* Try to seize control of the command using ptrace(2). */
+		int rc = exec_ptrace_seize(ec->cmnd_pid);
+		if (rc == 0) {
+		    /* There is another tracer present. */
+		    CLR(ec->details->flags, CD_INTERCEPT|CD_LOG_SUBCMDS|CD_USE_PTRACE);
+		} else if (rc == -1) {
 		    if (ec->cstat->type == CMD_INVALID) {
 			ec->cstat->type = CMD_ERRNO;
 			ec->cstat->val = errno;
diff --git a/src/sudo_exec.h b/src/sudo_exec.h
index fcc6e6f2a..4efbdb38b 100644
--- a/src/sudo_exec.h
+++ b/src/sudo_exec.h
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@ char **sudo_preload_dso(char *envp[], const char *dso_file, int intercept_fd);
 
 /* exec_ptrace.c */
 bool exec_ptrace_handled(pid_t pid, int status, void *intercept);
-bool exec_ptrace_seize(pid_t child);
 bool have_seccomp_action(const char *action);
 bool set_exec_filter(void);
+int exec_ptrace_seize(pid_t child);
 
 #endif /* SUDO_EXEC_H */