diff --git a/src/uu/sync/locales/en-US.ftl b/src/uu/sync/locales/en-US.ftl
index b473c03d913..272e5a822d2 100644
--- a/src/uu/sync/locales/en-US.ftl
+++ b/src/uu/sync/locales/en-US.ftl
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ sync-help-data = sync only file data, no unneeded metadata (Linux only)
 
 # Error messages
 sync-error-data-needs-argument = --data needs at least one argument
-sync-error-opening-file = error opening { $file }
+sync-error-opening-file = error opening { $file }: { $err }
 sync-error-no-such-file = error opening { $file }: No such file or directory
 sync-error-syncing-file = error syncing { $file }
 
diff --git a/src/uu/sync/locales/fr-FR.ftl b/src/uu/sync/locales/fr-FR.ftl
index e2db79b90fc..31c51aa4d6e 100644
--- a/src/uu/sync/locales/fr-FR.ftl
+++ b/src/uu/sync/locales/fr-FR.ftl
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ sync-help-data = synchroniser seulement les données des fichiers, pas les méta
 
 # Messages d'erreur
 sync-error-data-needs-argument = --data nécessite au moins un argument
-sync-error-opening-file = erreur lors de l'ouverture de { $file }
+sync-error-opening-file = erreur lors de l'ouverture de { $file } : { $err }
 sync-error-no-such-file = erreur lors de l'ouverture de { $file } : Aucun fichier ou répertoire de ce type
 sync-error-syncing-file = erreur lors de la synchronisation de { $file }
 
diff --git a/src/uu/sync/src/sync.rs b/src/uu/sync/src/sync.rs
index 87873cedab5..b91f216aaed 100644
--- a/src/uu/sync/src/sync.rs
+++ b/src/uu/sync/src/sync.rs
@@ -14,10 +14,9 @@ use nix::fcntl::{OFlag, open};
 use nix::sys::stat::Mode;
 use std::path::Path;
 use uucore::display::Quotable;
-#[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android"))]
-use uucore::error::FromIo;
-use uucore::error::{UResult, USimpleError};
+use uucore::error::{UResult, USimpleError, get_exit_code, set_exit_code};
 use uucore::format_usage;
+use uucore::show_error;
 use uucore::translate;
 
 pub mod options {
@@ -235,23 +234,30 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
             let path = Path::new(&f);
             if let Err(e) = open(path, OFlag::O_NONBLOCK, Mode::empty()) {
                 if e != Errno::EACCES || (e == Errno::EACCES && path.is_dir()) {
-                    e.map_err_context(
-                        || translate!("sync-error-opening-file", "file" => f.quote()),
-                    )?;
+                    show_error!(
+                        "{}",
+                        translate!("sync-error-opening-file", "file" => f.quote(), "err" => e.desc())
+                    );
+                    set_exit_code(1);
                 }
             }
         }
         #[cfg(not(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android")))]
         {
             if !Path::new(&f).exists() {
-                return Err(USimpleError::new(
-                    1,
-                    translate!("sync-error-no-such-file", "file" => f.quote()),
-                ));
+                show_error!(
+                    "{}",
+                    translate!("sync-error-no-such-file", "file" => f.quote())
+                );
+                set_exit_code(1);
             }
         }
     }
 
+    if get_exit_code() != 0 {
+        return Err(USimpleError::new(1, ""));
+    }
+
     #[allow(clippy::if_same_then_else)]
     if matches.get_flag(options::FILE_SYSTEM) {
         #[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android", target_os = "windows"))]
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_sync.rs b/tests/by-util/test_sync.rs
index fe979cc0df1..8c09d86372a 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_sync.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_sync.rs
@@ -168,6 +168,14 @@ fn test_sync_multiple_files() {
     new_ucmd!().arg("--data").arg(&file1).arg(&file2).succeeds();
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_sync_multiple_nonexistent_files() {
+    let result = new_ucmd!().arg("--data").arg("bad1").arg("bad2").fails();
+
+    result.stderr_contains("sync: error opening 'bad1': No such file or directory");
+    result.stderr_contains("sync: error opening 'bad2': No such file or directory");
+}
+
 #[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android"))]
 #[test]
 fn test_sync_data_fifo_fails_immediately() {