diff --git a/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs b/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs
index b7c64928f..40266689c 100644
--- a/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs
+++ b/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs
@@ -1261,13 +1261,15 @@ fn copy_helper(source: &Path, dest: &Path, options: &Options) -> CopyResult<()>
 fn copy_on_write_linux(source: &Path, dest: &Path, mode: ReflinkMode) -> CopyResult<()> {
     debug_assert!(mode != ReflinkMode::Never);
 
-    let src_file = File::open(source).unwrap().into_raw_fd();
+    let src_file = File::open(source)
+        .context(&*context_for(source, dest))?
+        .into_raw_fd();
     let dst_file = OpenOptions::new()
         .write(true)
         .truncate(false)
         .create(true)
         .open(dest)
-        .unwrap()
+        .context(&*context_for(source, dest))?
         .into_raw_fd();
     match mode {
         ReflinkMode::Always => unsafe {
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs b/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
index e995cc56c..c56e1ca57 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ use std::fs::set_permissions;
 #[cfg(not(windows))]
 use std::os::unix::fs;
 
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
 #[cfg(windows)]
 use std::os::windows::fs::symlink_file;
 
@@ -1257,3 +1259,20 @@ fn test_cp_reflink_bad() {
         .fails()
         .stderr_contains("invalid argument");
 }
+
+#[test]
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn test_cp_reflink_insufficient_permission() {
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+
+    at.make_file("unreadable")
+        .set_permissions(PermissionsExt::from_mode(0o000))
+        .unwrap();
+
+    ucmd.arg("-r")
+        .arg("--reflink=auto")
+        .arg("unreadable")
+        .arg(TEST_EXISTING_FILE)
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_only("cp: 'unreadable' -> 'existing_file.txt': Permission denied (os error 13)");
+}