diff --git a/runsc/cmd/metric_server.go b/runsc/cmd/metric_server.go
index 3fa05adf2..938e2ee5d 100644
--- a/runsc/cmd/metric_server.go
+++ b/runsc/cmd/metric_server.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"math/rand"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
@@ -743,6 +744,11 @@ func (m *MetricServer) Execute(ctx context.Context, f *flag.FlagSet, args ...any
 	if _, err := container.ListSandboxes(conf.RootDir); err != nil {
 		return util.Errorf("Invalid root directory %q: tried to list sandboxes within it and got: %v", conf.RootDir, err)
 	}
+	// container.ListSandboxes uses a glob pattern, which doesn't error out on
+	// permission errors. Double-check by actually listing the directory.
+	if _, err := ioutil.ReadDir(conf.RootDir); err != nil {
+		return util.Errorf("Invalid root directory %q: tried to list all entries within it and got: %v", conf.RootDir, err)
+	}
 	m.startTime = time.Now()
 	m.rand = rand.New(rand.NewSource(m.startTime.UnixNano()))
 	m.rootDir = conf.RootDir
diff --git a/runsc/container/metric_server_test.go b/runsc/container/metric_server_test.go
index aeafaf1af..d1d3fe839 100644
--- a/runsc/container/metric_server_test.go
+++ b/runsc/container/metric_server_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package container
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
@@ -434,3 +435,28 @@ func TestContainerMetricsMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpectedly found testmetric_fs_opens metric data for no-metrics container %s: %v", noMetricsCont.ID, val)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestMetricServerChecksRootDirectoryAccess(t *testing.T) {
+	te, cleanup := setupMetrics(t)
+	defer cleanup()
+	if err := te.client.ShutdownServer(te.testCtx); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Cannot stop metric server: %v", err)
+	}
+	prevStat, err := os.Lstat(te.sleepConf.RootDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("cannot stat %q: %v", te.sleepConf.RootDir, err)
+	}
+	if err := os.Chmod(te.sleepConf.RootDir, 0); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("cannot chmod %q as 000: %v", te.sleepConf.RootDir, err)
+	}
+	defer os.Chmod(te.sleepConf.RootDir, prevStat.Mode())
+	if _, err := ioutil.ReadDir(te.sleepConf.RootDir); err == nil {
+		t.Logf("Can still read directory %v despite chmodding it to 0. Maybe we are running as root? Skipping test.", te.sleepConf.RootDir)
+		return
+	}
+	shorterCtx, shorterCtxCancel := context.WithTimeout(te.testCtx, time.Second)
+	defer shorterCtxCancel()
+	if err := te.client.SpawnServer(shorterCtx, te.sleepConf); err == nil {
+		t.Error("Metric server was successfully able to be spawned despite not having access to the root directory")
+	}
+}