diff --git a/src/uu/touch/src/touch.rs b/src/uu/touch/src/touch.rs
index 4d1c9772c59..b667ffb8963 100644
--- a/src/uu/touch/src/touch.rs
+++ b/src/uu/touch/src/touch.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ pub mod error;
 
 use clap::builder::{PossibleValue, ValueParser};
 use clap::{Arg, ArgAction, ArgGroup, ArgMatches, Command};
-use filetime::{FileTime, set_file_times, set_symlink_file_times};
+#[cfg(not(unix))]
+use filetime::set_file_times;
+use filetime::{FileTime, set_symlink_file_times};
 use jiff::civil::Time;
 use jiff::fmt::strtime;
 use jiff::tz::TimeZone;
@@ -607,41 +609,61 @@ fn update_times(
 
     #[cfg(unix)]
     {
+        let timestamps = to_timestamps(atime, mtime);
+
         // Open write-only and use futimens to trigger IN_CLOSE_WRITE on Linux.
-        if !is_stdout && try_futimens_via_write_fd(path, atime, mtime).is_ok() {
+        if !is_stdout && try_futimens_via_write_fd(path, &timestamps).is_ok() {
             return Ok(());
         }
+
+        // Fall back to `utimensat` by path. Unlike `filetime::set_file_times`
+        // (which opens the file to call `futimens` on the fd), this only
+        // requires ownership of the file, so it still succeeds when the file is
+        // neither readable nor writable (e.g. mode 0).
+        rustix::fs::utimensat(
+            rustix::fs::CWD,
+            path,
+            &timestamps,
+            rustix::fs::AtFlags::empty(),
+        )
+        .map_err(|e| Error::from_raw_os_error(e.raw_os_error()))
+        .map_err_context(|| translate!("touch-error-setting-times-of-path", "path" => path.quote()))
     }
 
+    #[cfg(not(unix))]
     set_file_times(path, atime, mtime)
         .map_err_context(|| translate!("touch-error-setting-times-of-path", "path" => path.quote()))
 }
 
+/// Build a rustix [`Timestamps`] from access and modification [`FileTime`]s.
+#[cfg(unix)]
+fn to_timestamps(atime: FileTime, mtime: FileTime) -> Timestamps {
+    Timestamps {
+        last_access: rustix::fs::Timespec {
+            tv_sec: atime.unix_seconds(),
+            tv_nsec: atime.nanoseconds() as _,
+        },
+        last_modification: rustix::fs::Timespec {
+            tv_sec: mtime.unix_seconds(),
+            tv_nsec: mtime.nanoseconds() as _,
+        },
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(unix)]
 /// Set file times via file descriptor using `futimens`.
 ///
 /// This opens the file write-only and uses the POSIX `futimens` call to set
 /// access and modification times on the open FD (not by path), which also
 /// triggers `IN_CLOSE_WRITE` on Linux when the FD is closed.
-fn try_futimens_via_write_fd(path: &Path, atime: FileTime, mtime: FileTime) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+fn try_futimens_via_write_fd(path: &Path, timestamps: &Timestamps) -> std::io::Result<()> {
     let file = OpenOptions::new()
         .write(true)
         // Avoid blocking on special files (e.g. FIFOs) before we can inspect metadata.
         .custom_flags(O_NONBLOCK)
         .open(path)?;
 
-    let timestamps = Timestamps {
-        last_access: rustix::fs::Timespec {
-            tv_sec: atime.unix_seconds(),
-            tv_nsec: atime.nanoseconds() as _,
-        },
-        last_modification: rustix::fs::Timespec {
-            tv_sec: mtime.unix_seconds(),
-            tv_nsec: mtime.nanoseconds() as _,
-        },
-    };
-
-    futimens(&file, &timestamps).map_err(|e| Error::from_raw_os_error(e.raw_os_error()))
+    futimens(&file, timestamps).map_err(|e| Error::from_raw_os_error(e.raw_os_error()))
 }
 
 /// Get metadata of the provided path
@@ -985,7 +1007,7 @@ mod tests {
         let atime = FileTime::from_unix_time(1_600_000_000, 123_456_789);
         let mtime = FileTime::from_unix_time(1_600_000_100, 987_654_321);
 
-        super::try_futimens_via_write_fd(&path, atime, mtime).unwrap();
+        super::try_futimens_via_write_fd(&path, &super::to_timestamps(atime, mtime)).unwrap();
 
         let metadata = std::fs::metadata(&path).unwrap();
         let actual_atime = FileTime::from_last_access_time(&metadata);
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_touch.rs b/tests/by-util/test_touch.rs
index fbabdb75c65..cb84c72c340 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_touch.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_touch.rs
@@ -1109,3 +1109,29 @@ fn test_touch_through_dangling_symlink_creates_target() {
     assert!(at.file_exists("missing"));
     assert_eq!(at.read("missing"), "");
 }
+
+// touch must be able to update the times of an owned file that is neither
+// readable nor writable (mode 0). Setting explicit times via utimensat-by-path
+// only requires ownership, so this succeeds even though the file cannot be
+// opened. Regression test for GNU tests/touch/no-rights.sh.
+#[test]
+#[cfg(unix)]
+fn test_touch_set_time_on_unreadable_unwritable_file() {
+    use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
+
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+    let file = "no_rights";
+    at.touch(file);
+    std::fs::set_permissions(at.plus(file), std::fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o000)).unwrap();
+
+    ucmd.args(&["-d", "2000-01-03 00:00", "-c", file])
+        .succeeds()
+        .no_output();
+
+    // Restore permissions so the test harness can read back the metadata.
+    std::fs::set_permissions(at.plus(file), std::fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o644)).unwrap();
+    let expected = str_to_filetime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M", "2000-01-03 00:00");
+    let (atime, mtime) = get_file_times(&at, file);
+    assert_eq!(atime, expected);
+    assert_eq!(mtime, expected);
+}