diff --git a/fs/exists.ts b/fs/exists.ts
index 2f416e466f85..ad645519519f 100644
--- a/fs/exists.ts
+++ b/fs/exists.ts
@@ -156,8 +156,15 @@ export async function exists(
         (await Deno.permissions.query({ name: "read", path })).state ===
           "granted"
       ) {
-        // --allow-read not missing
-        return !options?.isReadable; // PermissionDenied was raised by file system, so the item exists, but can't be read
+        // --allow-read is not missing, so PermissionDenied came from the
+        // OS. If the caller specifically asked whether the path is
+        // readable, "no" is a defensible answer. Otherwise the usual
+        // cause is that the parent directory isn't traversable and we
+        // genuinely can't tell whether the path exists — guessing "true"
+        // silently misleads callers (see #6528). Re-throw so the caller
+        // can decide how to handle the indeterminate case.
+        if (options?.isReadable) return false;
+        throw error;
       }
     }
     throw error;
@@ -294,8 +301,15 @@ export function existsSync(
       if (
         Deno.permissions.querySync({ name: "read", path }).state === "granted"
       ) {
-        // --allow-read not missing
-        return !options?.isReadable; // PermissionDenied was raised by file system, so the item exists, but can't be read
+        // --allow-read is not missing, so PermissionDenied came from the
+        // OS. If the caller specifically asked whether the path is
+        // readable, "no" is a defensible answer. Otherwise the usual
+        // cause is that the parent directory isn't traversable and we
+        // genuinely can't tell whether the path exists — guessing "true"
+        // silently misleads callers (see #6528). Re-throw so the caller
+        // can decide how to handle the indeterminate case.
+        if (options?.isReadable) return false;
+        throw error;
       }
     }
     throw error;
diff --git a/fs/exists_test.ts b/fs/exists_test.ts
index f1114fffd1b7..4030d8fb638b 100644
--- a/fs/exists_test.ts
+++ b/fs/exists_test.ts
@@ -362,3 +362,64 @@ Deno.test("existsSync() returns false when both isDirectory and isFile sets true
     await Deno.remove(tempDirPath, { recursive: true });
   }
 });
+
+// https://github.com/denoland/std/issues/6528 — when --allow-read is granted
+// but the OS denies access (typically because the parent directory isn't
+// traversable), the previous behavior returned `true` and silently misled
+// callers. Now we rethrow Deno.errors.PermissionDenied so callers can decide
+// how to handle the indeterminate case. The `isReadable: true` branch is
+// unchanged: that question has a definitive answer (not readable → false).
+Deno.test(
+  {
+    name:
+      "exists() rethrows Deno.errors.PermissionDenied when the parent is inaccessible (#6528)",
+    ignore: Deno.build.os === "windows",
+  },
+  async function () {
+    const tempDirPath = await Deno.makeTempDir();
+    const innerPath = path.join(tempDirPath, "inner");
+    try {
+      await Deno.chmod(tempDirPath, 0o000);
+      let caught: unknown;
+      try {
+        await exists(innerPath);
+      } catch (e) {
+        caught = e;
+      }
+      assert(caught instanceof Deno.errors.PermissionDenied);
+
+      // isReadable:true still returns false — that question can be answered.
+      assertEquals(await exists(innerPath, { isReadable: true }), false);
+    } finally {
+      await Deno.chmod(tempDirPath, 0o755);
+      await Deno.remove(tempDirPath, { recursive: true });
+    }
+  },
+);
+
+Deno.test(
+  {
+    name:
+      "existsSync() rethrows Deno.errors.PermissionDenied when the parent is inaccessible (#6528)",
+    ignore: Deno.build.os === "windows",
+  },
+  function () {
+    const tempDirPath = Deno.makeTempDirSync();
+    const innerPath = path.join(tempDirPath, "inner");
+    try {
+      Deno.chmodSync(tempDirPath, 0o000);
+      let caught: unknown;
+      try {
+        existsSync(innerPath);
+      } catch (e) {
+        caught = e;
+      }
+      assert(caught instanceof Deno.errors.PermissionDenied);
+
+      assertEquals(existsSync(innerPath, { isReadable: true }), false);
+    } finally {
+      Deno.chmodSync(tempDirPath, 0o755);
+      Deno.removeSync(tempDirPath, { recursive: true });
+    }
+  },
+);