diff --git a/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs b/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs
index 868c35f2d..d18edbc10 100644
--- a/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs
+++ b/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ use std::ffi::CString;
 #[cfg(windows)]
 use std::ffi::OsStr;
 use std::fs;
-#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::fs::OpenOptions;
 use std::io;
@@ -1233,7 +1232,14 @@ fn copy_helper(source: &Path, dest: &Path, options: &Options) -> CopyResult<()>
         };
         symlink_file(&link, &dest, &*context_for(&link, &dest))?;
     } else {
-        fs::copy(source, dest).context(&*context_for(source, dest))?;
+        if source.to_string_lossy() == "/dev/null" {
+            /* workaround a limitation of fs::copy
+             * https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/79390
+             */
+            File::create(dest)?;
+        } else {
+            fs::copy(source, dest).context(&*context_for(source, dest))?;
+        }
     }
 
     Ok(())
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs b/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
index 9210e7d17..ccab0134b 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
@@ -911,14 +911,8 @@ fn test_cp_target_file_dev_null() {
     let file1 = "/dev/null";
     let file2 = "test_cp_target_file_file_i2";
 
-    at.touch(file1);
     at.touch(file2);
-    ucmd.arg(file1).arg(file2).fails();
-
-    /* Uncomment when fixed
     ucmd.arg(file1).arg(file2).succeeds().no_stderr();
 
-    assert!(at.file_exists(file1));
     assert!(at.file_exists(file2));
-    */
 }