diff --git a/src/uu/rm/src/rm.rs b/src/uu/rm/src/rm.rs
index 87767b904b..cb88b6a2b9 100644
--- a/src/uu/rm/src/rm.rs
+++ b/src/uu/rm/src/rm.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 // For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
 // file that was distributed with this source code.
 
-// spell-checker:ignore (path) eacces
+// spell-checker:ignore (path) eacces inacc
 
 use clap::{builder::ValueParser, crate_version, parser::ValueSource, Arg, ArgAction, Command};
 use std::collections::VecDeque;
@@ -330,14 +330,20 @@ fn handle_dir(path: &Path, options: &Options) -> bool {
     if options.recursive && (!is_root || !options.preserve_root) {
         if options.interactive != InteractiveMode::Always && !options.verbose {
             if let Err(e) = fs::remove_dir_all(path) {
-                had_err = true;
-                if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::PermissionDenied {
-                    // GNU compatibility (rm/fail-eacces.sh)
-                    // here, GNU doesn't use some kind of remove_dir_all
-                    // It will show directory+file
-                    show_error!("cannot remove {}: {}", path.quote(), "Permission denied");
-                } else {
-                    show_error!("cannot remove {}: {}", path.quote(), e);
+                // GNU compatibility (rm/empty-inacc.sh)
+                // remove_dir_all failed. maybe it is because of the permissions
+                // but if the directory is empty, remove_dir might work.
+                // So, let's try that before failing for real
+                if let Err(_e) = fs::remove_dir(path) {
+                    had_err = true;
+                    if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::PermissionDenied {
+                        // GNU compatibility (rm/fail-eacces.sh)
+                        // here, GNU doesn't use some kind of remove_dir_all
+                        // It will show directory+file
+                        show_error!("cannot remove {}: {}", path.quote(), "Permission denied");
+                    } else {
+                        show_error!("cannot remove {}: {}", path.quote(), e);
+                    }
                 }
             }
         } else {
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_rm.rs b/tests/by-util/test_rm.rs
index 73f99566c4..5125c746da 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_rm.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_rm.rs
@@ -647,6 +647,21 @@ fn test_prompt_write_protected_no() {
     assert!(at.file_exists(file_2));
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "chmod")]
+#[test]
+fn test_remove_inaccessible_dir() {
+    let scene = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    let at = &scene.fixtures;
+    let dir_1 = "test_rm_protected";
+
+    at.mkdir(dir_1);
+
+    scene.ccmd("chmod").arg("0").arg(dir_1).succeeds();
+
+    scene.ucmd().arg("-rf").arg(dir_1).succeeds();
+    assert!(!at.dir_exists(dir_1));
+}
+
 #[test]
 #[cfg(not(windows))]
 fn test_fifo_removal() {