diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 1bb463fc..9f58b4a2 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1819,6 +1819,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "env_logger",
  "log",
  "mitmproxy",
+ "nix 0.29.0",
  "once_cell",
  "pyo3",
  "pyo3-asyncio-0-21",
diff --git a/mitmproxy-rs/Cargo.toml b/mitmproxy-rs/Cargo.toml
index 932f96ef..080860c8 100644
--- a/mitmproxy-rs/Cargo.toml
+++ b/mitmproxy-rs/Cargo.toml
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ boringtun = "0.6"
 tar = "0.4.43"
 console-subscriber = { version = "0.4.1", optional = true }
 
+[target.'cfg(target_os = "linux")'.dependencies]
+nix = { version = "0.29.0", features = ["user"] }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 env_logger = "0.11"
@@ -40,4 +42,4 @@ tracing = ["console-subscriber"]
 [[test]]
 name = "test_task"
 path = "pytests/test_task.rs"
-harness = false
\ No newline at end of file
+harness = false
diff --git a/mitmproxy-rs/mitmproxy_rs/tun.pyi b/mitmproxy-rs/mitmproxy_rs/tun.pyi
index 99652906..52d898e8 100644
--- a/mitmproxy-rs/mitmproxy_rs/tun.pyi
+++ b/mitmproxy-rs/mitmproxy_rs/tun.pyi
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from collections.abc import Awaitable, Callable
 from typing import final
 from . import Stream
 
+def unavailable_reason() -> str | None: ...
 async def create_tun_interface(
         handle_tcp_stream: Callable[[Stream], Awaitable[None]],
         handle_udp_stream: Callable[[Stream], Awaitable[None]],
diff --git a/mitmproxy-rs/src/lib.rs b/mitmproxy-rs/src/lib.rs
index a44c885d..fbe3cebb 100644
--- a/mitmproxy-rs/src/lib.rs
+++ b/mitmproxy-rs/src/lib.rs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ mod mitmproxy_rs {
     #[pymodule]
     mod tun {
         #[pymodule_export]
-        use crate::server::{create_tun_interface, TunInterface};
+        use crate::server::{create_tun_interface, unavailable_reason, TunInterface};
     }
 
     #[pymodule]
diff --git a/mitmproxy-rs/src/server/mod.rs b/mitmproxy-rs/src/server/mod.rs
index cfc29981..2b1aa8d8 100644
--- a/mitmproxy-rs/src/server/mod.rs
+++ b/mitmproxy-rs/src/server/mod.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,6 @@ mod udp;
 mod wireguard;
 
 pub use local_redirector::{start_local_redirector, LocalRedirector};
-pub use tun::{create_tun_interface, TunInterface};
+pub use tun::{create_tun_interface, unavailable_reason, TunInterface};
 pub use udp::{start_udp_server, UdpServer};
 pub use wireguard::{start_wireguard_server, WireGuardServer};
diff --git a/mitmproxy-rs/src/server/tun.rs b/mitmproxy-rs/src/server/tun.rs
index 3a79b876..4525a4f9 100644
--- a/mitmproxy-rs/src/server/tun.rs
+++ b/mitmproxy-rs/src/server/tun.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 use crate::server::base::Server;
 use pyo3::prelude::*;
 
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+use nix::unistd;
+
 /// An open TUN interface.
 ///
 /// A new tun interface can be created by calling `create_tun_interface`.
@@ -59,6 +62,22 @@ pub fn create_tun_interface(
     }
     #[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
     Err(pyo3::exceptions::PyNotImplementedError::new_err(
-        "TUN proxy mode is only available on Linux",
+        unavailable_reason(),
     ))
 }
+
+/// Returns a `str` describing why tun mode is unavailable, or `None` if TUN mode is available.
+///
+/// Reasons for unavailability may be an unsupported platform, or missing privileges.
+#[pyfunction]
+pub fn unavailable_reason() -> Option<String> {
+    #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+    if !unistd::geteuid().is_root() {
+        Some(String::from("mitmproxy is not running as root"))
+    } else {
+        None
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+    Some(String::from("OS not supported for TUN proxy mode"))
+}
diff --git a/src/network/virtual_device.rs b/src/network/virtual_device.rs
index 62ce2966..ac7cfce2 100755
--- a/src/network/virtual_device.rs
+++ b/src/network/virtual_device.rs
@@ -29,8 +29,14 @@ impl VirtualDevice {
 }
 
 impl Device for VirtualDevice {
-    type RxToken<'a> = VirtualRxToken where Self: 'a;
-    type TxToken<'a> = VirtualTxToken<'a> where Self: 'a;
+    type RxToken<'a>
+        = VirtualRxToken
+    where
+        Self: 'a;
+    type TxToken<'a>
+        = VirtualTxToken<'a>
+    where
+        Self: 'a;
 
     fn receive(&mut self, _timestamp: Instant) -> Option<(Self::RxToken<'_>, Self::TxToken<'_>)> {
         if self.rx_buffer.is_empty() {