diff --git a/daemon/api_test.go b/daemon/api_test.go
index f8f1e1c3a60..13426dbf449 100644
--- a/daemon/api_test.go
+++ b/daemon/api_test.go
@@ -5451,7 +5451,7 @@ func (s *postCreateUserSuite) SetUpTest(c *check.C) {
 	s.apiBaseSuite.SetUpTest(c)
 
 	s.daemon(c)
-	postCreateUserUcrednetGet = func(string) (uint32, uint32, string, error) {
+	postCreateUserUcrednetGet = func(string) (int32, uint32, string, error) {
 		return 100, 0, dirs.SnapdSocket, nil
 	}
 	s.mockUserHome = c.MkDir()
@@ -5858,7 +5858,7 @@ func (s *postCreateUserSuite) TestPostCreateUserFromAssertionAllKnownClassicErro
 
 	s.makeSystemUsers(c, []map[string]interface{}{goodUser})
 
-	postCreateUserUcrednetGet = func(string) (uint32, uint32, string, error) {
+	postCreateUserUcrednetGet = func(string) (int32, uint32, string, error) {
 		return 100, 0, dirs.SnapdSocket, nil
 	}
 	defer func() {
@@ -6596,7 +6596,7 @@ func (s *apiSuite) TestSnapctlGetNoUID(c *check.C) {
 func (s *apiSuite) TestSnapctlForbiddenError(c *check.C) {
 	_ = s.daemon(c)
 
-	runSnapctlUcrednetGet = func(string) (uint32, uint32, string, error) {
+	runSnapctlUcrednetGet = func(string) (int32, uint32, string, error) {
 		return 100, 9999, dirs.SnapSocket, nil
 	}
 	defer func() { runSnapctlUcrednetGet = ucrednetGet }()
diff --git a/daemon/daemon_test.go b/daemon/daemon_test.go
index e3494d569fa..b1050d0a830 100644
--- a/daemon/daemon_test.go
+++ b/daemon/daemon_test.go
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ type daemonSuite struct {
 
 var _ = check.Suite(&daemonSuite{})
 
-func (s *daemonSuite) checkAuthorization(pid uint32, uid uint32, actionId string, details map[string]string, flags polkit.CheckFlags) (bool, error) {
+func (s *daemonSuite) checkAuthorization(pid int32, uid uint32, actionId string, details map[string]string, flags polkit.CheckFlags) (bool, error) {
 	s.lastPolkitFlags = flags
 	return s.authorized, s.err
 }
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ func (s *daemonSuite) TestPolkitAccessForGet(c *check.C) {
 
 	// for UserOK commands, polkit is not consulted
 	cmd.UserOK = true
-	polkitCheckAuthorization = func(pid uint32, uid uint32, actionId string, details map[string]string, flags polkit.CheckFlags) (bool, error) {
+	polkitCheckAuthorization = func(pid int32, uid uint32, actionId string, details map[string]string, flags polkit.CheckFlags) (bool, error) {
 		panic("polkit.CheckAuthorization called")
 	}
 	c.Check(cmd.canAccess(get, nil), check.Equals, accessOK)
diff --git a/daemon/ucrednet.go b/daemon/ucrednet.go
index 5e981e1157b..7ef32b47cab 100644
--- a/daemon/ucrednet.go
+++ b/daemon/ucrednet.go
@@ -31,22 +31,23 @@ import (
 var errNoID = errors.New("no pid/uid found")
 
 const (
-	ucrednetNoProcess = uint32(0)
+	ucrednetNoProcess = int32(0)
 	ucrednetNobody    = uint32((1 << 32) - 1)
 )
 
-func ucrednetGet(remoteAddr string) (pid uint32, uid uint32, socket string, err error) {
+func ucrednetGet(remoteAddr string) (pid int32, uid uint32, socket string, err error) {
 	pid = ucrednetNoProcess
 	uid = ucrednetNobody
 	for _, token := range strings.Split(remoteAddr, ";") {
-		var v uint64
 		if strings.HasPrefix(token, "pid=") {
-			if v, err = strconv.ParseUint(token[4:], 10, 32); err == nil {
-				pid = uint32(v)
+			var v int64
+			if v, err = strconv.ParseInt(token[4:], 10, 32); err == nil {
+				pid = int32(v)
 			} else {
 				break
 			}
 		} else if strings.HasPrefix(token, "uid=") {
+			var v uint64
 			if v, err = strconv.ParseUint(token[4:], 10, 32); err == nil {
 				uid = uint32(v)
 			} else {
@@ -65,26 +66,35 @@ func ucrednetGet(remoteAddr string) (pid uint32, uid uint32, socket string, err
 	return pid, uid, socket, err
 }
 
+type ucrednet struct {
+	pid    int32
+	uid    uint32
+	socket string
+}
+
+func (un *ucrednet) String() string {
+	if un == nil {
+		return "pid=;uid=;socket=;"
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("pid=%d;uid=%d;socket=%s;", un.pid, un.uid, un.socket)
+}
+
 type ucrednetAddr struct {
 	net.Addr
-	pid    string
-	uid    string
-	socket string
+	*ucrednet
 }
 
 func (wa *ucrednetAddr) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("pid=%s;uid=%s;socket=%s;%s", wa.pid, wa.uid, wa.socket, wa.Addr)
+	return wa.ucrednet.String()
 }
 
 type ucrednetConn struct {
 	net.Conn
-	pid    string
-	uid    string
-	socket string
+	*ucrednet
 }
 
 func (wc *ucrednetConn) RemoteAddr() net.Addr {
-	return &ucrednetAddr{wc.Conn.RemoteAddr(), wc.pid, wc.uid, wc.socket}
+	return &ucrednetAddr{wc.Conn.RemoteAddr(), wc.ucrednet}
 }
 
 type ucrednetListener struct{ net.Listener }
@@ -97,7 +107,7 @@ func (wl *ucrednetListener) Accept() (net.Conn, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	var pid, uid, socket string
+	var unet *ucrednet
 	if ucon, ok := con.(*net.UnixConn); ok {
 		f, err := ucon.File()
 		if err != nil {
@@ -111,10 +121,12 @@ func (wl *ucrednetListener) Accept() (net.Conn, error) {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
-		pid = strconv.FormatUint(uint64(ucred.Pid), 10)
-		uid = strconv.FormatUint(uint64(ucred.Uid), 10)
-		socket = ucon.LocalAddr().String()
+		unet = &ucrednet{
+			pid:    ucred.Pid,
+			uid:    ucred.Uid,
+			socket: ucon.LocalAddr().String(),
+		}
 	}
 
-	return &ucrednetConn{con, pid, uid, socket}, err
+	return &ucrednetConn{con, unet}, nil
 }
diff --git a/daemon/ucrednet_test.go b/daemon/ucrednet_test.go
index 83511a84527..aa3080cd01a 100644
--- a/daemon/ucrednet_test.go
+++ b/daemon/ucrednet_test.go
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func (s *ucrednetSuite) TestAcceptConnRemoteAddrString(c *check.C) {
 	remoteAddr := conn.RemoteAddr().String()
 	c.Check(remoteAddr, check.Matches, "pid=100;uid=42;.*")
 	pid, uid, _, err := ucrednetGet(remoteAddr)
-	c.Check(pid, check.Equals, uint32(100))
+	c.Check(pid, check.Equals, int32(100))
 	c.Check(uid, check.Equals, uint32(42))
 	c.Check(err, check.IsNil)
 }
@@ -146,14 +146,14 @@ func (s *ucrednetSuite) TestUcredErrors(c *check.C) {
 func (s *ucrednetSuite) TestGetNoUid(c *check.C) {
 	pid, uid, _, err := ucrednetGet("pid=100;uid=;")
 	c.Check(err, check.Equals, errNoID)
-	c.Check(pid, check.Equals, uint32(100))
+	c.Check(pid, check.Equals, int32(100))
 	c.Check(uid, check.Equals, ucrednetNobody)
 }
 
 func (s *ucrednetSuite) TestGetBadUid(c *check.C) {
 	pid, uid, _, err := ucrednetGet("pid=100;uid=hello;")
 	c.Check(err, check.NotNil)
-	c.Check(pid, check.Equals, uint32(100))
+	c.Check(pid, check.Equals, int32(100))
 	c.Check(uid, check.Equals, ucrednetNobody)
 }
 
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ func (s *ucrednetSuite) TestGetNothing(c *check.C) {
 func (s *ucrednetSuite) TestGet(c *check.C) {
 	pid, uid, socket, err := ucrednetGet("pid=100;uid=42;socket=/run/snap.socket")
 	c.Check(err, check.IsNil)
-	c.Check(pid, check.Equals, uint32(100))
+	c.Check(pid, check.Equals, int32(100))
 	c.Check(uid, check.Equals, uint32(42))
 	c.Check(socket, check.Equals, "/run/snap.socket")
 }
diff --git a/polkit/authority.go b/polkit/authority.go
index 8f5f797ed72..db08f6d365c 100644
--- a/polkit/authority.go
+++ b/polkit/authority.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func checkAuthorization(subject authSubject, actionId string, details map[string
 
 // CheckAuthorization queries polkit to determine whether a process is
 // authorized to perform an action.
-func CheckAuthorization(pid uint32, uid uint32, actionId string, details map[string]string, flags CheckFlags) (bool, error) {
+func CheckAuthorization(pid int32, uid uint32, actionId string, details map[string]string, flags CheckFlags) (bool, error) {
 	subject := authSubject{
 		Kind:    "unix-process",
 		Details: make(map[string]dbus.Variant),
diff --git a/polkit/pid_start_time.go b/polkit/pid_start_time.go
index c873c90f374..93aca0fffba 100644
--- a/polkit/pid_start_time.go
+++ b/polkit/pid_start_time.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // getStartTimeForPid determines the start time for a given process ID
-func getStartTimeForPid(pid uint32) (uint64, error) {
+func getStartTimeForPid(pid int32) (uint64, error) {
 	filename := fmt.Sprintf("/proc/%d/stat", pid)
 	return getStartTimeForProcStatFile(filename)
 }
diff --git a/polkit/pid_start_time_test.go b/polkit/pid_start_time_test.go
index 96faafe8aaa..7bc1107d1b7 100644
--- a/polkit/pid_start_time_test.go
+++ b/polkit/pid_start_time_test.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ var _ = check.Suite(&polkitSuite{})
 func (s *polkitSuite) TestGetStartTime(c *check.C) {
 	pid := os.Getpid()
 
-	startTime, err := getStartTimeForPid(uint32(pid))
+	startTime, err := getStartTimeForPid(int32(pid))
 	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
 	c.Check(startTime, check.Not(check.Equals), uint64(0))
 }
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func (s *polkitSuite) TestGetStartTimeBadPid(c *check.C) {
 		pid += 1
 	}
 
-	startTime, err := getStartTimeForPid(uint32(pid))
+	startTime, err := getStartTimeForPid(int32(pid))
 	c.Assert(err, check.ErrorMatches, "open .*: no such file or directory")
 	c.Check(startTime, check.Equals, uint64(0))
 }