diff --git a/src/shadow-core/src/lib.rs b/src/shadow-core/src/lib.rs
index 773373f..a16c6a7 100644
--- a/src/shadow-core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/shadow-core/src/lib.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 pub mod cli;
 pub mod error;
+pub mod os_error;
 pub mod passwd;
 pub mod validate;
 
diff --git a/src/shadow-core/src/os_error.rs b/src/shadow-core/src/os_error.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc70ae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shadow-core/src/os_error.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+// This file is part of the shadow-rs package.
+//
+// For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+// file that was distributed with this source code.
+
+//! Error text sourced from the operating system instead of hardcoded.
+//!
+//! Wording for conditions that map to a libc `errno` is taken from
+//! `strerror` (via [`std::io::Error`]) rather than carried as a string
+//! literal in our tree. This keeps the text matching the host OS and lets
+//! glibc translate it on localized systems — the same way GNU coreutils
+//! renders system errors (e.g. `cat: /tmp: Is a directory`). See issue #159.
+
+/// The operating system's message for a raw `errno`.
+///
+/// For example `EACCES` renders as "Permission denied" on English locales
+/// and the translated equivalent elsewhere. On targets whose libc does not
+/// translate (musl), this is the untranslated English text.
+#[must_use]
+pub fn strerror(errno: i32) -> String {
+    std::io::Error::from_raw_os_error(errno).to_string()
+}
+
+/// The OS message for `EACCES` ("Permission denied"), sourced from libc.
+#[must_use]
+pub fn permission_denied() -> String {
+    strerror(libc::EACCES)
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn permission_denied_is_nonempty_and_os_sourced() {
+        // We assert the shape, not the exact text: the wording comes from the
+        // host libc and may be localized, so hardcoding it would defeat the
+        // purpose of this module.
+        let msg = permission_denied();
+        assert!(!msg.is_empty());
+        // Same value libc would give for EACCES directly.
+        assert_eq!(msg, strerror(libc::EACCES));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/uu/chage/src/chage.rs b/src/uu/chage/src/chage.rs
index cdaff08..801fca3 100644
--- a/src/uu/chage/src/chage.rs
+++ b/src/uu/chage/src/chage.rs
@@ -274,7 +274,10 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
             let current_user = shadow_core::hardening::current_username()
                 .map_err(|e| ChageError::UnexpectedFailure(e.to_string()))?;
             if current_user != *login {
-                return Err(ChageError::PermissionDenied("Permission denied.".into()).into());
+                return Err(ChageError::PermissionDenied(
+                    shadow_core::os_error::permission_denied(),
+                )
+                .into());
             }
         }
         return cmd_list(&root, login);
@@ -282,7 +285,9 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
 
     // All modification flags require root.
     if !shadow_core::hardening::caller_is_root() {
-        return Err(ChageError::PermissionDenied("Permission denied.".into()).into());
+        return Err(
+            ChageError::PermissionDenied(shadow_core::os_error::permission_denied()).into(),
+        );
     }
 
     if !has_modifications {
diff --git a/src/uu/chpasswd/src/chpasswd.rs b/src/uu/chpasswd/src/chpasswd.rs
index c1f6b0c..6e58be5 100644
--- a/src/uu/chpasswd/src/chpasswd.rs
+++ b/src/uu/chpasswd/src/chpasswd.rs
@@ -186,7 +186,9 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
 
     // chpasswd always requires root.
     if !shadow_core::hardening::caller_is_root() {
-        return Err(ChpasswdError::PermissionDenied("Permission denied.".into()).into());
+        return Err(
+            ChpasswdError::PermissionDenied(shadow_core::os_error::permission_denied()).into(),
+        );
     }
 
     let is_encrypted = matches.get_flag(options::ENCRYPTED);
diff --git a/src/uu/groupadd/src/groupadd.rs b/src/uu/groupadd/src/groupadd.rs
index a65644c..d83ed41 100644
--- a/src/uu/groupadd/src/groupadd.rs
+++ b/src/uu/groupadd/src/groupadd.rs
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
     };
 
     if !shadow_core::hardening::caller_is_root() {
-        uucore::show_error!("Permission denied.");
+        uucore::show_error!("{}", shadow_core::os_error::permission_denied());
         return Err(GroupaddError::AlreadyPrinted(1).into());
     }
 
diff --git a/src/uu/groupdel/src/groupdel.rs b/src/uu/groupdel/src/groupdel.rs
index 39d7c83..32a7da2 100644
--- a/src/uu/groupdel/src/groupdel.rs
+++ b/src/uu/groupdel/src/groupdel.rs
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
     };
 
     if !shadow_core::hardening::caller_is_root() {
-        uucore::show_error!("Permission denied.");
+        uucore::show_error!("{}", shadow_core::os_error::permission_denied());
         return Err(GroupdelError::AlreadyPrinted(1).into());
     }
 
diff --git a/src/uu/groupmod/src/groupmod.rs b/src/uu/groupmod/src/groupmod.rs
index dc7d337..0f326cb 100644
--- a/src/uu/groupmod/src/groupmod.rs
+++ b/src/uu/groupmod/src/groupmod.rs
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
     };
 
     if !shadow_core::hardening::caller_is_root() {
-        uucore::show_error!("Permission denied.");
+        uucore::show_error!("{}", shadow_core::os_error::permission_denied());
         return Err(GroupmodError::AlreadyPrinted(1).into());
     }
 
diff --git a/src/uu/passwd/src/passwd.rs b/src/uu/passwd/src/passwd.rs
index cafcf92..d3f3fd2 100644
--- a/src/uu/passwd/src/passwd.rs
+++ b/src/uu/passwd/src/passwd.rs
@@ -188,12 +188,18 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
         // Non-root users can only view their own status.
         if !shadow_core::hardening::caller_is_root() {
             if show_all {
-                return Err(PasswdError::PermissionDenied("Permission denied.".into()).into());
+                return Err(PasswdError::PermissionDenied(
+                    shadow_core::os_error::permission_denied(),
+                )
+                .into());
             }
             let current_user = shadow_core::hardening::current_username()
                 .map_err(|e| PasswdError::UnexpectedFailure(e.to_string()))?;
             if current_user != target_user {
-                return Err(PasswdError::PermissionDenied("Permission denied.".into()).into());
+                return Err(PasswdError::PermissionDenied(
+                    shadow_core::os_error::permission_denied(),
+                )
+                .into());
             }
         }
 
@@ -218,7 +224,9 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
     // caller to be root. Non-root users can only change their own password
     // (the default PAM path below).
     if (has_mutation || has_aging) && !shadow_core::hardening::caller_is_root() {
-        return Err(PasswdError::PermissionDenied("Permission denied.".into()).into());
+        return Err(
+            PasswdError::PermissionDenied(shadow_core::os_error::permission_denied()).into(),
+        );
     }
 
     // When a mutation flag and aging flags are both present, apply both in a
diff --git a/src/uu/useradd/src/useradd.rs b/src/uu/useradd/src/useradd.rs
index 4ce7a13..c6f1b9c 100644
--- a/src/uu/useradd/src/useradd.rs
+++ b/src/uu/useradd/src/useradd.rs
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
 
     // Only root can add users.
     if !shadow_core::hardening::caller_is_root() {
-        uucore::show_error!("Permission denied.");
+        uucore::show_error!("{}", shadow_core::os_error::permission_denied());
         return Err(UseraddError::AlreadyPrinted(1).into());
     }
 
diff --git a/src/uu/userdel/src/userdel.rs b/src/uu/userdel/src/userdel.rs
index b676b4e..a00ddce 100644
--- a/src/uu/userdel/src/userdel.rs
+++ b/src/uu/userdel/src/userdel.rs
@@ -97,7 +97,9 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
 
     // Must be root.
     if !rustix::process::getuid().is_root() {
-        return Err(UserdelError::CantUpdatePasswd("Permission denied.".into()).into());
+        return Err(
+            UserdelError::CantUpdatePasswd(shadow_core::os_error::permission_denied()).into(),
+        );
     }
 
     // Read the user's home directory and UID from /etc/passwd BEFORE removing
diff --git a/src/uu/usermod/src/usermod.rs b/src/uu/usermod/src/usermod.rs
index 87d12fd..cb8d13f 100644
--- a/src/uu/usermod/src/usermod.rs
+++ b/src/uu/usermod/src/usermod.rs
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
     let root = SysRoot::new(prefix);
 
     if !rustix::process::getuid().is_root() {
-        return Err(UsermodError::CantUpdate("Permission denied.".into()).into());
+        return Err(UsermodError::CantUpdate(shadow_core::os_error::permission_denied()).into());
     }
 
     // Block signals for the passwd lock→write critical section only.