diff --git a/doc/7-icinga-template-library.md b/doc/7-icinga-template-library.md
index b3227a865..69cec1e5f 100644
--- a/doc/7-icinga-template-library.md
+++ b/doc/7-icinga-template-library.md
@@ -2066,7 +2066,11 @@ mem_critical | **Required.** Specify the critical threshold as number interprete
 Check command object for the `check_running_kernel` plugin
 provided by the `nagios-plugins-contrib` package on Debian.
 
-The `running_kernel` check command does not support any vars.
+Custom attributes:
+
+Name                       | Description
+---------------------------|-------------
+running\_kernel\_use\_sudo | Whether to run the plugin with `sudo`. Defaults to false except on Ubuntu where it defaults to true.
 
 #### <a id="plugin-contrib-command-yum"></a> yum
 
diff --git a/itl/plugins-contrib.d/operating-system.conf b/itl/plugins-contrib.d/operating-system.conf
index ca7214578..c065c18c2 100644
--- a/itl/plugins-contrib.d/operating-system.conf
+++ b/itl/plugins-contrib.d/operating-system.conf
@@ -53,7 +53,25 @@ object CheckCommand "mem" {
 object CheckCommand "running_kernel" {
 	import "plugin-check-command"
 
-	command = [ "sudo", PluginContribDir + "/check_running_kernel" ]
+	command = {{
+		var use_sudo = macro("$running_kernel_use_sudo$")
+
+		if (use_sudo == null && PlatformName == "Ubuntu") {
+			use_sudo = true
+		}
+
+		var args
+
+		if (use_sudo) {
+			args = [ "sudo" ]
+		} else {
+			args = []
+		}
+
+		args += [ PluginContribDir + "/check_running_kernel" ]
+
+		return args
+	}}
 }
 
 object CheckCommand "yum" {