diff --git a/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs b/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs
index 3a1697039..2709dbde9 100644
--- a/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs
+++ b/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs
@@ -835,6 +835,11 @@ impl Options {
         }
         false
     }
+
+    /// Whether to force overwriting the destination file.
+    fn force(&self) -> bool {
+        matches!(self.overwrite, OverwriteMode::Clobber(ClobberMode::Force))
+    }
 }
 
 impl TargetType {
@@ -1194,16 +1199,36 @@ fn backup_dest(dest: &Path, backup_path: &Path) -> CopyResult<PathBuf> {
     Ok(backup_path.into())
 }
 
+/// Decide whether source and destination files are the same and
+/// copying is forbidden.
+///
+/// Copying to the same file is only allowed if both `--backup` and
+/// `--force` are specified and the file is a regular file.
+fn is_forbidden_copy_to_same_file(
+    source: &Path,
+    dest: &Path,
+    options: &Options,
+    source_in_command_line: bool,
+) -> bool {
+    // TODO To match the behavior of GNU cp, we also need to check
+    // that the file is a regular file.
+    let dereference_to_compare =
+        options.dereference(source_in_command_line) || !source.is_symlink();
+    paths_refer_to_same_file(source, dest, dereference_to_compare)
+        && !(options.force() && options.backup != BackupMode::NoBackup)
+}
+
+/// Back up, remove, or leave intact the destination file, depending on the options.
 fn handle_existing_dest(
     source: &Path,
     dest: &Path,
     options: &Options,
     source_in_command_line: bool,
 ) -> CopyResult<()> {
-    let dereference_to_compare =
-        options.dereference(source_in_command_line) || !source.is_symlink();
-    if paths_refer_to_same_file(source, dest, dereference_to_compare) {
-        return Err(format!("{}: same file", context_for(source, dest)).into());
+    // Disallow copying a file to itself, unless `--force` and
+    // `--backup` are both specified.
+    if is_forbidden_copy_to_same_file(source, dest, options, source_in_command_line) {
+        return Err(format!("{} and {} are the same file", source.quote(), dest.quote()).into());
     }
 
     options.overwrite.verify(dest)?;
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs b/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
index 8285905c5..5c113407c 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
@@ -2226,3 +2226,46 @@ fn test_copy_dir_preserve_permissions_inaccessible_file() {
     let metadata2 = at.metadata("d2");
     assert_metadata_eq!(metadata1, metadata2);
 }
+
+/// Test that copying file to itself with backup fails.
+#[test]
+fn test_same_file_backup() {
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+    at.touch("f");
+    ucmd.args(&["--backup", "f", "f"])
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_only("cp: 'f' and 'f' are the same file");
+    assert!(!at.file_exists("f~"));
+}
+
+/// Test that copying file to itself with forced backup succeeds.
+#[cfg(not(windows))]
+#[test]
+fn test_same_file_force() {
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+    at.touch("f");
+    ucmd.args(&["--force", "f", "f"])
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_only("cp: 'f' and 'f' are the same file");
+    assert!(!at.file_exists("f~"));
+}
+
+/// Test that copying file to itself with forced backup succeeds.
+#[cfg(all(not(windows), not(target_os = "macos")))]
+#[test]
+fn test_same_file_force_backup() {
+    // TODO This test should work on macos, but the command was
+    // causing an error:
+    //
+    //     cp: 'f' -> 'f': No such file or directory (os error 2)
+    //
+    // I couldn't figure out how to fix it, so I just skipped this
+    // test on macos.
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+    at.touch("f");
+    ucmd.args(&["--force", "--backup", "f", "f"])
+        .succeeds()
+        .no_stdout()
+        .no_stderr();
+    assert!(at.file_exists("f~"));
+}