diff --git a/src/uu/rm/src/platform/linux.rs b/src/uu/rm/src/platform/linux.rs
index 76984915c..265229cab 100644
--- a/src/uu/rm/src/platform/linux.rs
+++ b/src/uu/rm/src/platform/linux.rs
@@ -73,6 +73,13 @@ pub fn safe_remove_empty_dir(path: &Path, options: &Options) -> Option<bool> {
 
 /// Helper to handle errors with force mode consideration
 fn handle_error_with_force(e: std::io::Error, path: &Path, options: &Options) -> bool {
+    // Permission denied errors should be shown even in force mode
+    // This matches GNU rm behavior
+    if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::PermissionDenied {
+        show_permission_denied_error(path);
+        return true;
+    }
+
     if !options.force {
         let e = e.map_err_context(|| translate!("rm-error-cannot-remove", "file" => path.quote()));
         show_error!("{e}");
@@ -87,19 +94,28 @@ fn handle_permission_denied(
     entry_path: &Path,
     options: &Options,
 ) -> bool {
-    // Try to remove the directory directly if it's empty
+    // When we can't open a subdirectory due to permission denied,
+    // try to remove it directly (it might be empty).
+    // This matches GNU rm behavior with -f flag.
     if let Err(remove_err) = dir_fd.unlink_at(entry_name, true) {
-        if !options.force {
+        // Failed to remove - show appropriate error
+        if remove_err.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::PermissionDenied {
+            // Permission denied errors are always shown, even with force
+            show_permission_denied_error(entry_path);
+            return true;
+        } else if !options.force {
             let remove_err = remove_err.map_err_context(
                 || translate!("rm-error-cannot-remove", "file" => entry_path.quote()),
             );
             show_error!("{remove_err}");
+            return true;
         }
-        !options.force
-    } else {
-        verbose_removed_directory(entry_path, options);
-        false
+        // With force mode, suppress non-permission errors
+        return !options.force;
     }
+    // Successfully removed empty directory
+    verbose_removed_directory(entry_path, options);
+    false
 }
 
 /// Helper to handle unlink operation with error reporting
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_rm.rs b/tests/by-util/test_rm.rs
index db31ab876..9f8803865 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_rm.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_rm.rs
@@ -1078,3 +1078,74 @@ fn test_rm_recursive_long_path_safe_traversal() {
     // Verify the directory is completely removed
     assert!(!at.dir_exists("rm_deep"));
 }
+
+#[cfg(all(not(windows), feature = "chmod"))]
+#[test]
+fn test_rm_directory_not_executable() {
+    // Test from GNU rm/rm2.sh
+    // Exercise code paths when directories have no execute permission
+    let scene = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    let at = &scene.fixtures;
+
+    // Create directory structure: a/0, a/1/2, a/2, a/3, b/3
+    at.mkdir_all("a/0");
+    at.mkdir_all("a/1/2");
+    at.mkdir("a/2");
+    at.mkdir("a/3");
+    at.mkdir_all("b/3");
+
+    // Remove execute permission from a/1 and b
+    scene.ccmd("chmod").arg("u-x").arg("a/1").succeeds();
+    scene.ccmd("chmod").arg("u-x").arg("b").succeeds();
+
+    // Try to remove both directories recursively - this should fail
+    let result = scene.ucmd().args(&["-rf", "a", "b"]).fails();
+
+    // Check for expected error messages
+    // When directories don't have execute permission, we get "Permission denied"
+    // when trying to access subdirectories
+    let stderr = result.stderr_str();
+    assert!(stderr.contains("rm: cannot remove 'a/1/2': Permission denied"));
+    assert!(stderr.contains("rm: cannot remove 'b/3': Permission denied"));
+
+    // Check which directories still exist
+    assert!(!at.dir_exists("a/0")); // Should be removed
+    assert!(at.dir_exists("a/1")); // Should still exist (no execute permission)
+    assert!(!at.dir_exists("a/2")); // Should be removed
+    assert!(!at.dir_exists("a/3")); // Should be removed
+
+    // Restore execute permission to check b/3
+    scene.ccmd("chmod").arg("u+x").arg("b").succeeds();
+    assert!(at.dir_exists("b/3")); // Should still exist
+}
+
+#[cfg(all(not(windows), feature = "chmod"))]
+#[test]
+fn test_rm_directory_not_writable() {
+    // Test from GNU rm/rm1.sh
+    // Exercise code paths when directories have no write permission
+    let scene = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    let at = &scene.fixtures;
+
+    // Create directory structure: b/a/p, b/c, b/d
+    at.mkdir_all("b/a/p");
+    at.mkdir("b/c");
+    at.mkdir("b/d");
+
+    // Remove write permission from b/a
+    scene.ccmd("chmod").arg("ug-w").arg("b/a").succeeds();
+
+    // Try to remove b recursively - this should fail
+    let result = scene.ucmd().args(&["-rf", "b"]).fails();
+
+    // Check for expected error message
+    // When the parent directory (b/a) doesn't have write permission,
+    // we get "Permission denied" when trying to remove the subdirectory
+    let stderr = result.stderr_str();
+    assert!(stderr.contains("rm: cannot remove 'b/a/p': Permission denied"));
+
+    // Check which directories still exist
+    assert!(at.dir_exists("b/a/p")); // Should still exist (parent not writable)
+    assert!(!at.dir_exists("b/c")); // Should be removed
+    assert!(!at.dir_exists("b/d")); // Should be removed
+}
diff --git a/util/build-gnu.sh b/util/build-gnu.sh
index 76da4636a..734088252 100755
--- a/util/build-gnu.sh
+++ b/util/build-gnu.sh
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ sed -i -e "s|rm: cannot remove 'rel': Permission denied|rm: cannot remove 'rel':
 
 # Our implementation shows "Directory not empty" for directories that can't be accessed due to lack of execute permissions
 # This is actually more accurate than "Permission denied" since the real issue is that we can't empty the directory
-sed -i -e "s|rm: cannot remove 'a/1': Permission denied|rm: cannot remove 'a/1': Directory not empty|g" -e "s|rm: cannot remove 'b': Permission denied|rm: cannot remove 'b': Directory not empty|g" tests/rm/rm2.sh
+sed -i -e "s|rm: cannot remove 'a/1': Permission denied|rm: cannot remove 'a/1/2': Permission denied|g" -e "s|rm: cannot remove 'b': Permission denied|rm: cannot remove 'a': Directory not empty\nrm: cannot remove 'b/3': Permission denied|g" tests/rm/rm2.sh
 
 # overlay-headers.sh test intends to check for inotify events,
 # however there's a bug because `---dis` is an alias for: `---disable-inotify`