I understood the answer to be the overhead involved in context switching to validate the executed SQL statements within the PL/SQL. Invoker's rights would eliminate this overhead (perhaps only done once per procedure), since the context would already be known at execution time. But I haven't been able to google confirmation of that. And since Tom Kyte is, well Tom Kyte, perhaps I was mistaken, or it no longer applies with advances in PL/SQL in recent releases. Or maybe that's what Tom is indirectly saying... My $.02, Rich > From > http://asktom.oracle.com/pls/asktom/f?p=100:11:0::::P11_QUESTION_ID:1065832643319 > " > > Why is it that roles are not used during the compilation of a procedure? It > has to do > with the dependency model. Oracle is not storing exactly WHY you are allowed > to access T > ¡V only that you are (directly able to -- not via a role). Any change to > your privileges -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l