diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c6b9825..34ba82b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ find_package(KF5 ${KF5_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED
     DocTools
 )
 
+find_package(PolkitQt5-1 REQUIRED)
+
 # use sane compile flags
 add_definitions(
   -DQT_USE_QSTRINGBUILDER
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 5ef4502..0e6151a 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ target_link_libraries(partitionmanager ${BLKID_LIBRARIES}
 	KF5::KIOWidgets
 	KF5::WidgetsAddons
 	KF5::XmlGui
+	PolkitQt5-1::Core
 )
 
 target_compile_definitions(partitionmanager PRIVATE -DCMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBEXECDIR_KF5=\"${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBEXECDIR_KF5}\")
diff --git a/src/gui/mainwindow.cpp b/src/gui/mainwindow.cpp
index 97357d8..987c99c 100644
--- a/src/gui/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@
 #include <util/guihelpers.h>
 #include <util/report.h>
 
+#include <algorithm>
+
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QCloseEvent>
 #include <QCollator>
@@ -70,6 +72,9 @@
 #include <QTemporaryFile>
 #include <QTextStream>
 
+#include <PolkitQt1/Authority>
+#include <polkitqt1-version.h>
+
 #include <KAboutApplicationDialog>
 #include <KActionCollection>
 #include <KMessageBox>
@@ -126,10 +131,67 @@ void MainWindow::init()
 
     loadConfig();
 
+    // this is done in order to hide the title bar of MessageWidget dock
+    findChild<QDockWidget*>(QStringLiteral("MessageWidgetDock"))->setTitleBarWidget(new QWidget());
+
+    MessageWidget().hide();
+    MessageWidget().setText(
+        i18nc("@info", "Partition Manager requires privileges in order to work. Please refresh the devices and authenticate when prompted."));
+
     show();
     pmWidget().init(&operationStack());
 
-    scanDevices();
+    scanProgressDialog().cancel();
+    setEnabled(false);
+    guiFactory()->container(QStringLiteral("selectedDevice"), this)->setEnabled(false);
+
+    askForPermissions();
+
+    if (m_permissionGranted) {
+        FileSystemFactory::init();
+        scanDevices();
+    } else
+        Q_EMIT showMessageWidget();
+
+    setEnabled(true);
+}
+
+void MainWindow::askForPermissions()
+{
+    PolkitQt1::UnixProcessSubject subject(QApplication::applicationPid());
+    PolkitQt1::Authority *authority = PolkitQt1::Authority::instance();
+
+    PolkitQt1::Authority::Result result;
+    QEventLoop e;
+    connect(authority, &PolkitQt1::Authority::checkAuthorizationFinished, &e,
+            [&e, &result](PolkitQt1::Authority::Result _result) {
+                result = _result;
+                e.quit();
+            });
+
+    authority->checkAuthorization(QStringLiteral("org.kde.kpmcore.externalcommand.init"), subject, PolkitQt1::Authority::AllowUserInteraction);
+    e.exec();
+
+    if (authority->hasError()) {
+        qDebug() << "Encountered error while checking authorization, error code:"
+                 << authority->lastError() << authority->errorDetails();
+        authority->clearError();
+    }
+
+    m_permissionGranted = result == PolkitQt1::Authority::Yes;
+}
+
+QMenu *MainWindow::createPopupMenu()
+{
+    auto menu = QMainWindow::createPopupMenu();
+    auto actions = menu->actions();
+    QAction *toRemove =
+        *std::find_if(actions.begin(), actions.end(),
+                      [](QAction *x) { return x->text().isEmpty(); });
+    // this is done in order to hide the entry for the MessageWidget dock
+    menu->removeAction(toRemove);
+
+    return menu;
 }
 
 void MainWindow::closeEvent(QCloseEvent* event)
@@ -409,6 +471,7 @@ void MainWindow::setupActions()
     refreshDevices->setStatusTip(xi18nc("@info:status", "Renew the devices list."));
     actionCollection()->setDefaultShortcut(refreshDevices, Qt::Key_F5);
     refreshDevices->setIcon(QIcon::fromTheme(QStringLiteral("view-refresh")));
+    MessageWidget().addAction(refreshDevices);
 
     // Settings Actions
     actionCollection()->addAction(QStringLiteral("toggleDockDevices"), dockDevices().toggleViewAction());
@@ -459,6 +522,11 @@ void MainWindow::setupConnections()
 
     connect(GlobalLog::instance(), &GlobalLog::newMessage,
             &treeLog(), &TreeLog::onNewLogMessage);
+
+    connect(this, &MainWindow::showMessageWidget, &MessageWidget(),
+            &KMessageWidget::animatedShow);
+    connect(this, &MainWindow::hideMessageWidget, &MessageWidget(),
+            &KMessageWidget::animatedHide);
 }
 
 void MainWindow::setupStatusBar()
@@ -741,7 +809,13 @@ void MainWindow::on_m_DeviceScanner_finished()
 
     scanProgressDialog().setProgress(100);
 
-    if (!operationStack().previewDevices().isEmpty())
+    bool foundDevices = !operationStack().previewDevices().isEmpty();
+
+    guiFactory()
+        ->container(QStringLiteral("selectedDevice"), this)
+        ->setEnabled(foundDevices);
+
+    if (foundDevices)
         pmWidget().setSelectedDevice(operationStack().previewDevices()[0]);
 
     pmWidget().updatePartitions();
@@ -751,7 +825,7 @@ void MainWindow::on_m_DeviceScanner_finished()
 
     // try to set the seleted device, either from the saved one or just select the
     // first device
-    if (!listDevices().setSelectedDevice(savedSelectedDeviceNode()) && !operationStack().previewDevices().isEmpty())
+    if (!listDevices().setSelectedDevice(savedSelectedDeviceNode()) && foundDevices)
         listDevices().setSelectedDevice(operationStack().previewDevices()[0]->deviceNode());
 
     updateSeletedDeviceMenu();
@@ -815,7 +889,17 @@ void MainWindow::onRefreshDevices()
             xi18nc("@title:window", "Really Rescan the Devices?"),
             KGuiItem(xi18nc("@action:button", "Rescan Devices"), QStringLiteral("arrow-right")),
             KStandardGuiItem::cancel(), QStringLiteral("reallyRescanDevices")) == KMessageBox::Continue) {
-        scanDevices();
+
+        if (m_permissionGranted) {
+            scanDevices();
+        } else {
+            askForPermissions();
+            if (m_permissionGranted) {
+                  Q_EMIT hideMessageWidget();
+                  FileSystemFactory::init();
+                  scanDevices();
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/gui/mainwindow.h b/src/gui/mainwindow.h
index a1954e0..df43bed 100644
--- a/src/gui/mainwindow.h
+++ b/src/gui/mainwindow.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 #include "ui_mainwindowbase.h"
 
+#include <KMessageWidget>
 #include <KXmlGuiWindow>
 
 class ApplyProgressDialog;
@@ -206,6 +207,15 @@ protected:
         return *m_ScanProgressDialog;
     }
 
+    KMessageWidget &MessageWidget() {
+        Q_ASSERT(m_MessageWidget);
+        return *m_MessageWidget;
+    }
+    const KMessageWidget &MessageWidget() const {
+        Q_ASSERT(m_MessageWidget);
+        return *m_MessageWidget;
+    }
+
     void onSelectedDeviceMenuTriggered(bool);
 
 protected Q_SLOTS:
@@ -255,6 +265,15 @@ protected:
     void onSmartStatusDevice();
     void onPropertiesDevice(const QString& deviceNode = {});
 
+private:
+    QMenu* createPopupMenu() override;
+
+    void askForPermissions();
+
+Q_SIGNALS:
+    void showMessageWidget();
+    void hideMessageWidget();
+
 private:
     OperationStack* m_OperationStack;
     OperationRunner* m_OperationRunner;
@@ -263,6 +282,8 @@ private:
     ScanProgressDialog* m_ScanProgressDialog;
     QLabel* m_StatusText;
     QString m_SavedSelectedDeviceNode;
+
+    bool m_permissionGranted;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/gui/mainwindowbase.ui b/src/gui/mainwindowbase.ui
index a5cf231..74b77e9 100644
--- a/src/gui/mainwindowbase.ui
+++ b/src/gui/mainwindowbase.ui
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
   <property name="windowTitle">
    <string comment="@title:window">KDE Partition Manager</string>
   </property>
-  <widget class="PartitionManagerWidget" name="m_PartitionManagerWidget">
-  </widget>
+  <widget class="PartitionManagerWidget" name="m_PartitionManagerWidget"/>
   <widget class="QDockWidget" name="m_DockDevices">
    <property name="allowedAreas">
     <set>Qt::LeftDockWidgetArea|Qt::RightDockWidgetArea</set>
@@ -29,8 +28,7 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
    <attribute name="dockWidgetArea">
     <number>1</number>
    </attribute>
-   <widget class="ListDevices" name="m_ListDevices">
-   </widget>
+   <widget class="ListDevices" name="m_ListDevices"/>
   </widget>
   <widget class="QDockWidget" name="m_DockOperations">
    <property name="allowedAreas">
@@ -42,8 +40,7 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
    <attribute name="dockWidgetArea">
     <number>8</number>
    </attribute>
-   <widget class="ListOperations" name="m_ListOperations">
-   </widget>
+   <widget class="ListOperations" name="m_ListOperations"/>
   </widget>
   <widget class="QDockWidget" name="m_DockInformation">
    <property name="windowTitle">
@@ -52,8 +49,7 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
    <attribute name="dockWidgetArea">
     <number>1</number>
    </attribute>
-   <widget class="InfoPane" name="m_InfoPane">
-   </widget>
+   <widget class="InfoPane" name="m_InfoPane"/>
   </widget>
   <widget class="QDockWidget" name="m_DockLog">
    <property name="allowedAreas">
@@ -65,11 +61,34 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
    <attribute name="dockWidgetArea">
     <number>8</number>
    </attribute>
-   <widget class="TreeLog" name="m_TreeLog">
+   <widget class="TreeLog" name="m_TreeLog"/>
+  </widget>
+  <widget class="QDockWidget" name="MessageWidgetDock">
+   <property name="minimumSize">
+    <size>
+     <width>0</width>
+     <height>0</height>
+    </size>
+   </property>
+   <property name="features">
+    <set>QDockWidget::NoDockWidgetFeatures</set>
+   </property>
+   <attribute name="dockWidgetArea">
+    <number>4</number>
+   </attribute>
+   <widget class="KMessageWidget" name="m_MessageWidget">
+    <property name="messageType">
+     <enum>KMessageWidget::Warning</enum>
+    </property>
    </widget>
   </widget>
  </widget>
  <customwidgets>
+  <customwidget>
+   <class>KMessageWidget</class>
+   <extends>QFrame</extends>
+   <header>kmessagewidget.h</header>
+  </customwidget>
   <customwidget>
    <class>PartitionManagerWidget</class>
    <extends>QWidget</extends>
diff --git a/src/gui/partitionmanagerwidget.cpp b/src/gui/partitionmanagerwidget.cpp
index d7a0c1e..a2a8ae0 100644
--- a/src/gui/partitionmanagerwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/partitionmanagerwidget.cpp
@@ -94,9 +94,6 @@ void PartitionManagerWidget::init(OperationStack* ostack)
 {
     m_OperationStack = ostack;
 
-    // TODO: shouldn't this also go to the main window class?
-    FileSystemFactory::init();
-
     loadConfig();
     setupConnections();
 }