diff --git a/guava-tests/test/com/google/common/io/MoreFilesTest.java b/guava-tests/test/com/google/common/io/MoreFilesTest.java
index 4bde486ed3c0..69310d394579 100644
--- a/guava-tests/test/com/google/common/io/MoreFilesTest.java
+++ b/guava-tests/test/com/google/common/io/MoreFilesTest.java
@@ -300,6 +300,9 @@ public void testCreateParentDirectories_noPermission() {
     if (isWindows()) {
       return; // TODO: b/136041958 - Create/find a directory that we don't have permissions on?
     }
+    if ("root".equals(System.getProperty("user.name"))) {
+      return; // Root bypasses filesystem permission checks, so the test expectation doesn't hold.
+    }
     Path file = root().resolve("parent/nonexistent.file");
     Path parent = file.getParent();
     assertFalse(Files.exists(parent));