diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/cancel b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/cancel
index 86e7e6379a..7b02cd704e 100755
--- a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/cancel
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/cancel
@@ -48,5 +48,5 @@ fi
 
 # Compact memory
 if [ "x$CLEANUP_MEMORY_ON_STOP" = "xyes" ]; then
-    sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 &>/dev/null &
+    (sudo -l | grep -q sysctl) && (sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 &>/dev/null &) || true
 fi
diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/deploy b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/deploy
index b71f91d732..004375a062 100755
--- a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/deploy
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/deploy
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ cat > $DEP_FILE
 
 # Compact memory
 if [ "x$CLEANUP_MEMORY_ON_START" = "xyes" ]; then
-    sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 >/dev/null
+    (sudo -l | grep -q sysctl) && sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 >/dev/null
 fi
 
 # Create non-volatile memory to store firmware variables if needed
diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/migrate b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/migrate
index 2180c7dde3..09ac53ee3c 100755
--- a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/migrate
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/migrate
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ done
 
 # Compact memory
 if [ "x$CLEANUP_MEMORY_ON_START" = "xyes" ]; then
-    ssh_exec_and_log "$DEST_HOST" "sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 >/dev/null" \
+    ssh_exec_and_log "$DEST_HOST" "(sudo -l | grep -q sysctl) && sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 >/dev/null || true" \
         "Failed compact memory on $DEST_HOST"
 fi
 
@@ -285,6 +285,6 @@ fi
 
 # Compact memory
 if [ "x$CLEANUP_MEMORY_ON_STOP" = "xyes" ]; then
-    sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 &>/dev/null &
+    (sudo -l | grep -q sysctl) && sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 &>/dev/null &
 fi
 
diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/migrate_local b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/migrate_local
index 562f037c7b..640b646a64 100755
--- a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/migrate_local
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/migrate_local
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ done
 
 # Compact memory on dest host
 if [ "x$CLEANUP_MEMORY_ON_START" = "xyes" ]; then
-    ssh_exec_and_log "$dest_host" "sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 >/dev/null" \
+    ssh_exec_and_log "$dest_host" "(sudo -l | grep -q sysctl) && sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 >/dev/null || true" \
         "Failed compact memory on $dest_host"
 fi
 
@@ -71,6 +71,6 @@ fi
 
 # Compact memory on src host
 if [ "x$CLEANUP_MEMORY_ON_STOP" = "xyes" ]; then
-    ssh_exec_and_log "$src_host" "sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 &>/dev/null &" \
+    ssh_exec_and_log "$src_host" "(sudo -l | grep -q sysctl) && (sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 &>/dev/null &) || true" \
         "Failed compact memory on $src_host"
 fi
diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/resize b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/resize
index 15ff343f05..9f129da93e 100755
--- a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/resize
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/resize
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ source $(dirname $0)/../../scripts_common.sh
 if [ ! -z "$MEM" -a "$MEM" -ne "$MEM_OLD" ]; then
     # Compact memory
     if [ "x$CLEANUP_MEMORY_ON_START" = "xyes" ]; then
-        sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 >/dev/null
+        (sudo -l | grep -q sysctl) && sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 >/dev/null
     fi
 
     # Add memory to VM
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ if [ ! -z "$MEM" -a "$MEM" -ne "$MEM_OLD" ]; then
 
     # Compact memory
     if [ "x$CLEANUP_MEMORY_ON_STOP" = "xyes" ]; then
-        sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 &>/dev/null &
+        (sudo -l | grep -q sysctl) && sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 &>/dev/null &
     fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/restore b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/restore
index 4c04104a65..06282cc9f9 100755
--- a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/restore
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/restore
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ multiline_exec_and_log "$RECALCULATE_CMD" \
 
 # Compact memory
 if [ "x$CLEANUP_MEMORY_ON_START" = "xyes" ]; then
-    sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 >/dev/null
+    (sudo -l | grep -q sysctl) && sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 >/dev/null
 fi
 
 ### Restore with retry
diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/save b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/save
index c2c8155ef4..51c0fd9a6c 100755
--- a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/save
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/save
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ retry_if "active block job" 3 5 \
 
 # Compact memory
 if [ "x$CLEANUP_MEMORY_ON_STOP" = "xyes" ]; then
-    sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 &>/dev/null &
+    (sudo -l | grep -q sysctl) && sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 &>/dev/null &
 fi
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/shutdown b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/shutdown
index ac778cc646..a7d7a49394 100755
--- a/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/shutdown
+++ b/src/vmm_mad/remotes/kvm/shutdown
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ force_shutdown "$deploy_id" \
 
 # Compact memory
 if [ "x$CLEANUP_MEMORY_ON_STOP" = "xyes" ]; then
-    sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 &>/dev/null &
+    (sudo -l | grep -q sysctl) && sudo -n sysctl vm.drop_caches=3 vm.compact_memory=1 &>/dev/null &
 fi
 
 sleep 4