diff --git a/src/uu/chmod/src/chmod.rs b/src/uu/chmod/src/chmod.rs
index 9dea3c842..c4bf309d6 100644
--- a/src/uu/chmod/src/chmod.rs
+++ b/src/uu/chmod/src/chmod.rs
@@ -262,8 +262,10 @@ impl Chmoder {
                         );
                     }
                     return Ok(());
+                } else if err.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::PermissionDenied {
+                    show_error!("'{}': Permission denied", file.display());
                 } else {
-                    show_error!("{}: '{}'", err, file.display());
+                    show_error!("'{}': {}", file.display(), err);
                 }
                 return Err(1);
             }
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_chmod.rs b/tests/by-util/test_chmod.rs
index 733722b7c..f20429a6e 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_chmod.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_chmod.rs
@@ -282,6 +282,26 @@ fn test_chmod_reference_file() {
     run_single_test(&tests[0], at, ucmd);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_permission_denied() {
+    let scene = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    let at = &scene.fixtures;
+
+    at.mkdir("d/");
+    at.mkdir("d/no-x");
+    at.mkdir("d/no-x/y");
+
+    scene.ucmd().arg("u=rw").arg("d/no-x").succeeds();
+
+    scene
+        .ucmd()
+        .arg("-R")
+        .arg("o=r")
+        .arg("d")
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_is("chmod: 'd/no-x/y': Permission denied");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_chmod_recursive() {
     let _guard = UMASK_MUTEX.lock();