diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 803d76cbf..167d6ad74 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 language: python
 
 # http://docs.travis-ci.com/user/ci-environment/#CI-environment-OS
-before_install: travis_retry ./bootstrap/ubuntu.sh
+before_install: travis_retry sudo ./bootstrap/ubuntu.sh
 
 install: "travis_retry pip install tox coveralls"
 script: "travis_retry tox"
diff --git a/Vagrantfile b/Vagrantfile
index 7fb5113f8..b4a06ea05 100644
--- a/Vagrantfile
+++ b/Vagrantfile
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ VAGRANTFILE_API_VERSION = "2"
 # Setup instructions from docs/using.rst
 $ubuntu_setup_script = <<SETUP_SCRIPT
 cd /vagrant
-./bootstrap/ubuntu.sh
+sudo ./bootstrap/ubuntu.sh
 if [ ! -d "venv" ]; then
   virtualenv --no-site-packages -p python2 venv
   ./venv/bin/python setup.py dev
diff --git a/bootstrap/_deb_common.sh b/bootstrap/_deb_common.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..b09130d77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bootstrap/_deb_common.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Tested with:
+#   - Ubuntu:
+#     - 12.04 (x64, Travis)
+#     - 14.04 (x64, Vagrant)
+#     - 14.10 (x64)
+#   - Debian:
+#     - 6.0.10 "squeeze" (x64)
+#     - 7.8 "wheezy" (x64)
+#     - 8.0 "jessie" (x64)
+
+# virtualenv binary can be found in different packages depending on
+# distro version (#346)
+distro=$(lsb_release -si)
+# 6.0.10 => 60, 14.04 => 1404
+version=$(lsb_release -sr | awk -F '.' '{print $1 $2}')
+if [ "$distro" = "Ubuntu" -a "$version" -ge 1410 ]
+then
+  virtualenv="virtualenv"
+elif [ "$distro" = "Debian" -a "$version" -ge 80 ]
+then
+  virtualenv="virtualenv"
+else
+  virtualenv="python-virtualenv"
+fi
+
+# dpkg-dev: dpkg-architecture binary necessary to compile M2Crypto, c.f.
+#           #276, https://github.com/martinpaljak/M2Crypto/issues/62,
+#           M2Crypto setup.py:add_multiarch_paths
+
+apt-get update
+apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+  python python-setuptools "$virtualenv" python-dev gcc swig \
+  dialog libaugeas0 libssl-dev libffi-dev ca-certificates dpkg-dev
diff --git a/bootstrap/debian.sh b/bootstrap/debian.sh
index f215cf2e0..068a039cb 120000
--- a/bootstrap/debian.sh
+++ b/bootstrap/debian.sh
@@ -1 +1 @@
-ubuntu.sh
\ No newline at end of file
+_deb_common.sh
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bootstrap/mac.sh b/bootstrap/mac.sh
index a24590131..9f0f22a17 100755
--- a/bootstrap/mac.sh
+++ b/bootstrap/mac.sh
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-sudo brew install augeas swig
+brew install augeas swig
diff --git a/bootstrap/ubuntu.sh b/bootstrap/ubuntu.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 1acde595a..000000000
--- a/bootstrap/ubuntu.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-# Tested with:
-#   - 12.04 (x64, Travis)
-#   - 14.04 (x64, Vagrant)
-#   - 14.10 (x64)
-
-# dpkg-dev: dpkg-architecture binary necessary to compile M2Crypto, c.f.
-#           #276, https://github.com/martinpaljak/M2Crypto/issues/62,
-#           M2Crypto setup.py:add_multiarch_paths
-
-sudo apt-get update
-sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
-     python python-setuptools python-virtualenv python-dev gcc swig \
-     dialog libaugeas0 libssl-dev libffi-dev ca-certificates dpkg-dev
diff --git a/bootstrap/ubuntu.sh b/bootstrap/ubuntu.sh
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..068a039cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bootstrap/ubuntu.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+_deb_common.sh
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/using.rst b/docs/using.rst
index 463b6524b..3a7940993 100644
--- a/docs/using.rst
+++ b/docs/using.rst
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ are provided mainly for the :ref:`developers <hacking>` reference.
 
 In general:
 
+* ``sudo`` is required as a suggested way of running privileged process
 * `swig`_ is required for compiling `m2crypto`_
 * `augeas`_ is required for the ``python-augeas`` bindings
 
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ Ubuntu
 
 .. code-block:: shell
 
-   ./bootstrap/ubuntu.sh
+   sudo ./bootstrap/ubuntu.sh
 
 
 Debian
@@ -28,13 +29,10 @@ Debian
 
 .. code-block:: shell
 
-   ./bootstrap/debian.sh
+   sudo ./bootstrap/debian.sh
 
 For squezze you will need to:
 
-- Run ``apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends sudo`` as root
-  (``sudo`` is not installed by default) before running the bootstrap
-  script.
 - Use ``virtualenv --no-site-packages -p python`` instead of ``-p python2``.
 
 
@@ -46,7 +44,7 @@ Mac OSX
 
 .. code-block:: shell
 
-   ./bootstrap/mac.sh
+   sudo ./bootstrap/mac.sh
 
 
 Installation