diff --git a/src/uu/pathchk/src/pathchk.rs b/src/uu/pathchk/src/pathchk.rs
index c7813c08c71..02005f81b09 100644
--- a/src/uu/pathchk/src/pathchk.rs
+++ b/src/uu/pathchk/src/pathchk.rs
@@ -198,11 +198,10 @@ fn check_default(path: &[String]) -> bool {
         return false;
     }
     if total_len == 0 {
-        // POSIX has no empty file name, yet some systems accept one as a way
-        // of writing the current directory. Rather than decide that here, ask
-        // the platform: keep the operand when `symlink_metadata` (`lstat`)
-        // resolves it, reject it when that fails.
-        if fs::symlink_metadata(&joined_path).is_err() {
+        // Some systems accept an empty file name as the current directory.
+        // Preserve that behavior except on WASI, where a preopen makes
+        // symlink_metadata("") succeed for an invalid empty path.
+        if cfg!(target_os = "wasi") || fs::symlink_metadata(&joined_path).is_err() {
             show_error!("{}", translate!("pathchk-error-empty-path-not-found"));
             return false;
         }
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_pathchk.rs b/tests/by-util/test_pathchk.rs
index ceae18d87d8..8370ad5bc51 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_pathchk.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_pathchk.rs
@@ -33,20 +33,15 @@ fn test_default_mode() {
     new_ucmd!().args(&["dir#/$file"]).succeeds().no_stdout();
 
     // fail on empty path
-    // WASI's symlink_metadata("") returns Ok instead of ENOENT, so pathchk
-    // accepts the empty operand there.
-    #[cfg(not(wasi_runner))]
-    {
-        new_ucmd!()
-            .args(&[""])
-            .fails()
-            .stderr_only("pathchk: '': No such file or directory\n");
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&[""])
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_only("pathchk: '': No such file or directory\n");
 
-        new_ucmd!().args(&["", ""]).fails().stderr_only(
-            "pathchk: '': No such file or directory\n\
-            pathchk: '': No such file or directory\n",
-        );
-    }
+    new_ucmd!().args(&["", ""]).fails().stderr_only(
+        "pathchk: '': No such file or directory\n\
+        pathchk: '': No such file or directory\n",
+    );
 
     // fail on long path
     new_ucmd!()