diff --git a/src/spice2x/build/manifest.manifest b/src/spice2x/build/manifest.manifest
index 1810dc4..f4d072b 100644
--- a/src/spice2x/build/manifest.manifest
+++ b/src/spice2x/build/manifest.manifest
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2">
         <security>
             <requestedPrivileges>
-                <requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false"/>
+                <requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false"/>
             </requestedPrivileges>
         </security>
     </trustInfo>
diff --git a/src/spice2x/cfg/manifest.manifest b/src/spice2x/cfg/manifest.manifest
index 813e32b..528088f 100644
--- a/src/spice2x/cfg/manifest.manifest
+++ b/src/spice2x/cfg/manifest.manifest
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@
         </dependentAssembly>
     </dependency>
     <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2">
-            <security>
-                <requestedPrivileges>
-                    <requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false"/>
-                </requestedPrivileges>
-            </security>
+        <security>
+            <requestedPrivileges>
+                <requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false"/>
+            </requestedPrivileges>
+        </security>
     </trustInfo>
 </assembly>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/spice2x/launcher/launcher.cpp b/src/spice2x/launcher/launcher.cpp
index a61876a..67b67a3 100644
--- a/src/spice2x/launcher/launcher.cpp
+++ b/src/spice2x/launcher/launcher.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <shlwapi.h>
+#include <windows.h>
 #include <cfg/configurator.h>
 
 #include "api/modules/capture.h"
@@ -301,6 +302,26 @@ int main_implementation(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     }
     auto &options = *options_ptr;
 
+#if !SPICE_XP
+
+    {
+        // skip elevation only if AutoElevate is explicitly set to "user"
+        const bool skip_elevation = options[launcher::Options::AutoElevate].is_active() &&
+            options[launcher::Options::AutoElevate].value_text() == "user";
+        if (!skip_elevation && !sysutils::is_running_as_admin()) {
+            log_info("launcher", "relaunching with administrator privileges");
+            if (sysutils::relaunch_as_admin()) {
+                exit(0);
+            } else {
+                // elevation failed or was denied by the user
+                log_fatal("launcher", "failed to launch with administrator privileges");
+                exit(1);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+#endif // !SPICE_XP
+
     // check options
     // TODO: get rid of some booleans here and make use of the options directly
     if (options[launcher::Options::OpenConfigurator].value_bool()) {
diff --git a/src/spice2x/launcher/options.cpp b/src/spice2x/launcher/options.cpp
index e5014ec..9ed847b 100644
--- a/src/spice2x/launcher/options.cpp
+++ b/src/spice2x/launcher/options.cpp
@@ -2812,6 +2812,22 @@ static const std::vector<OptionDefinition> OPTION_DEFINITIONS = {
         .type = OptionType::Bool,
         .category = "Network (Development)",
     },
+    {
+        // AutoElevate
+        .title = "Run as",
+        .name = "runas",
+        .desc = "Controls whether spice will automatically re-launch with administrator privileges at startup.\n\n"
+            "admin (default): automatically re-launch with administrator privileges, "
+            "needed for most games to function properly\n\n"
+            "user: skip elevation, run with current user privileges; game may fail to launch, "
+            "crash, or critical features may silently fail; use at your own risk.",
+        .type = OptionType::Enum,
+        .category = "Development",
+        .elements = {
+            {"admin", ""},
+            {"user", ""},
+        },
+    },
 };
 
 const std::vector<std::string> &launcher::get_categories(Options::OptionsCategory category) {
diff --git a/src/spice2x/launcher/options.h b/src/spice2x/launcher/options.h
index c0fec7d..dfddf57 100644
--- a/src/spice2x/launcher/options.h
+++ b/src/spice2x/launcher/options.h
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ namespace launcher {
             OtocaCamHook,
             DisableHighResTimer,
             EnableICMPHook,
+            AutoElevate,
         };
 
         enum class OptionsCategory {
diff --git a/src/spice2x/util/sysutils.cpp b/src/spice2x/util/sysutils.cpp
index 0ceb621..e053d45 100644
--- a/src/spice2x/util/sysutils.cpp
+++ b/src/spice2x/util/sysutils.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 #include <windows.h>
 #undef WIN32_NO_STATUS
 
+#include <shellapi.h>
+#include <shlwapi.h>
+
 #include "hooks/graphics/graphics.h"
 #include "avs/game.h"
 #include "util/detour.h"
@@ -585,4 +588,56 @@ namespace sysutils {
             (void*)EnumDisplayDevicesA_hook,
             (void**)&EnumDisplayDevicesA_orig);
     }
+
+#if !SPICE_XP
+
+    bool is_running_as_admin() {
+        HANDLE token_handle = nullptr;
+        if (!OpenProcessToken(GetCurrentProcess(), TOKEN_QUERY, &token_handle)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        TOKEN_ELEVATION elevation = {};
+        DWORD size = sizeof(elevation);
+        const BOOL ok = GetTokenInformation(
+            token_handle, TokenElevation, &elevation, size, &size);
+        CloseHandle(token_handle);
+
+        if (!ok) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        return elevation.TokenIsElevated != 0;
+    }
+
+    bool relaunch_as_admin() {
+        // get the current executable path
+        wchar_t executable_path[MAX_PATH];
+        if (!GetModuleFileNameW(nullptr, executable_path, MAX_PATH)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // get the current working directory to pass to the elevated process
+        wchar_t working_dir[MAX_PATH];
+        if (!GetCurrentDirectoryW(MAX_PATH, working_dir)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // skip past argv[0] in the original command line
+        const wchar_t *args = PathGetArgsW(GetCommandLineW());
+
+        // use ShellExecuteW with "runas" verb to elevate
+        HINSTANCE result = ShellExecuteW(
+            nullptr,
+            L"runas",
+            executable_path,
+            args,
+            working_dir,
+            SW_SHOW
+        );
+
+        // ShellExecute returns > 32 on success
+        return (intptr_t)result > 32;
+    }
+
+#endif // !SPICE_XP
 }
diff --git a/src/spice2x/util/sysutils.h b/src/spice2x/util/sysutils.h
index 343504f..44d32fa 100644
--- a/src/spice2x/util/sysutils.h
+++ b/src/spice2x/util/sysutils.h
@@ -21,5 +21,12 @@ namespace sysutils {
     const std::vector<MonitorEntry> &enumerate_monitors();
 
     extern std::string SECOND_MONITOR_OVERRIDE;
-    void hook_EnumDisplayDevicesA();    
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+    void hook_EnumDisplayDevicesA();
+    
+#if !SPICE_XP
+
+    bool is_running_as_admin();
+    bool relaunch_as_admin();
+
+#endif // !SPICE_XP
+}