diff --git a/syscall.c b/syscall.c
index 5e92edca0..de2c521f4 100644
--- a/syscall.c
+++ b/syscall.c
@@ -290,6 +290,11 @@ static int ona_open(const char *path, int flags, mode_t mode, char *out_abs, siz
 	 * fallback in syscall.c so a build without it still compiles. */
 #ifndef O_CLOEXEC
 #define O_CLOEXEC 0
+#endif
+#ifdef O_PATH
+	const int dir_traverse_flags = O_PATH | O_DIRECTORY | O_CLOEXEC;
+#else
+	const int dir_traverse_flags = O_RDONLY | O_DIRECTORY | O_CLOEXEC;
 #endif
 	if (!path || !*path) {
 		errno = EINVAL;
@@ -348,7 +353,7 @@ static int ona_open(const char *path, int flags, mode_t mode, char *out_abs, siz
 
 	/* Absolute path: pin "/" as the starting dfd. */
 	if (remaining[0] == '/') {
-		dfd = open("/", O_RDONLY | O_DIRECTORY | O_CLOEXEC);
+		dfd = open("/", dir_traverse_flags);
 		if (dfd < 0)
 			return -1;
 		dfd_owns = 1;
@@ -435,7 +440,7 @@ static int ona_open(const char *path, int flags, mode_t mode, char *out_abs, siz
 
 			if (target[0] == '/') {
 				if (dfd_owns) close(dfd);
-				dfd = open("/", O_RDONLY | O_DIRECTORY | O_CLOEXEC);
+				dfd = open("/", dir_traverse_flags);
 				if (dfd < 0) {
 					saved_errno = errno;
 					dfd_owns = 0;
@@ -490,7 +495,7 @@ static int ona_open(const char *path, int flags, mode_t mode, char *out_abs, siz
 			saved_errno = ELOOP;
 			goto out;
 		}
-		int next = openat(dfd, comp, O_RDONLY | O_DIRECTORY | O_NOFOLLOW | O_CLOEXEC);
+		int next = openat(dfd, comp, dir_traverse_flags | O_NOFOLLOW);
 		if (next < 0) {
 			saved_errno = errno;
 			goto out;
@@ -510,12 +515,12 @@ static int ona_open(const char *path, int flags, mode_t mode, char *out_abs, siz
 	}
 
 	/* Path resolved entirely to a directory (no leaf component left).
-	 * If the caller wanted O_DIRECTORY we already hold the dirfd we
-	 * built up; otherwise it's an EISDIR. */
+	 * Reopen the held traversal fd with the caller's requested access mode;
+	 * an O_PATH fd is sufficient for traversal and fchdir but not operations
+	 * such as fchmod. */
 	if (flags & O_DIRECTORY) {
-		retfd = dfd;
-		dfd_owns = 0;	/* caller now owns it */
-		saved_errno = 0;
+		retfd = openat(dfd, ".", flags | O_NOFOLLOW, mode);
+		saved_errno = retfd < 0 ? errno : 0;
 		if (out_abs && out_cap)
 			/* Root-resolved (".." popped abspath empty) tracked daemon walk:
 			 * hand back "/" so owner_walk_parent still leaf-checks (path=/ bypass). */
diff --git a/testsuite/search-only-destination_test.py b/testsuite/search-only-destination_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..46108e2f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testsuite/search-only-destination_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""The receiver must traverse a searchable but unreadable destination parent.
+
+Android exposes /sdcard through such a path, so the race-safe destination walk
+must use directory descriptors that require search permission only.
+"""
+
+import os
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tempfile
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from rsyncfns import SCRATCHDIR, rmtree, rsync_argv, test_fail, test_skipped
+
+if not sys.platform.startswith('linux'):
+    test_skipped('search-only-destination is Linux-specific')
+
+launcher = []
+if os.geteuid() == 0:
+    setpriv = shutil.which('setpriv')
+    if setpriv is None:
+        test_skipped('setpriv is unavailable for the root-run testsuite')
+    launcher = [setpriv, '--reuid=65534', '--regid=65534', '--clear-groups']
+
+external_base = os.geteuid() == 0
+if external_base:
+    base = Path(tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix='rsync-search-only-'))
+    base.chmod(0o755)
+else:
+    base = SCRATCHDIR / 'search-only-destination'
+src = base / 'src'
+parent = base / 'search-only'
+dest = parent / 'dest'
+rmtree(base)
+src.mkdir(parents=True)
+dest.mkdir(parents=True)
+(src / 'probe').write_text('search-only destination\n')
+
+if os.geteuid() == 0:
+    for path in (src, src / 'probe', dest):
+        os.chown(path, 65534, 65534)
+
+try:
+    parent.chmod(0o111)
+    try:
+        probe = subprocess.run(
+            launcher + ['test', '-r', str(parent)],
+            stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+        )
+        if probe.returncode == 0:
+            test_skipped('filesystem does not enforce the search-only test mode')
+        if probe.returncode != 1:
+            test_fail(f'search-only permission probe failed with exit {probe.returncode}')
+
+        proc = subprocess.run(
+            launcher + rsync_argv('-a', f'{src}/', f'{dest}/'),
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+            stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+            text=True,
+        )
+    finally:
+        parent.chmod(0o755)
+    copied = (dest / 'probe').read_text() if (dest / 'probe').is_file() else None
+finally:
+    if external_base:
+        rmtree(base)
+
+if proc.returncode != 0:
+    test_fail(
+        'receiver could not enter a destination below a searchable, unreadable '
+        f'parent (exit {proc.returncode}): {proc.stderr.strip()}'
+    )
+if copied != 'search-only destination\n':
+    test_fail('receiver did not copy into the search-only destination')
diff --git a/testsuite/skiplist/cygwin.txt b/testsuite/skiplist/cygwin.txt
index ba499cc54..347b69b51 100644
--- a/testsuite/skiplist/cygwin.txt
+++ b/testsuite/skiplist/cygwin.txt
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ rename-mixed-parent-transfer
 rrsync-sender-leaf-flip
 rrsync-sender-parent-pin
 rrsync-symlink
+search-only-destination
 sender-remove-source-root-anchor
 simd-checksum
 source-change-size-continues
diff --git a/testsuite/skiplist/macos.txt b/testsuite/skiplist/macos.txt
index 3e7653ce8..ce415be9c 100644
--- a/testsuite/skiplist/macos.txt
+++ b/testsuite/skiplist/macos.txt
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ readonly-partial-abort-mode-regression  #
 rrsync-sender-leaf-flip
 rrsync-sender-parent-pin
 rrsync-symlink
+search-only-destination
 sender-remove-source-root-anchor
 simd-checksum
 source-change-size-continues