diff --git a/src/uu/sync/src/sync.rs b/src/uu/sync/src/sync.rs
index 5db957178..eeff191a4 100644
--- a/src/uu/sync/src/sync.rs
+++ b/src/uu/sync/src/sync.rs
@@ -11,14 +11,12 @@ extern crate libc;
 
 use clap::{crate_version, Arg, ArgAction, Command};
 #[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android"))]
-use nix::errno::Errno;
-#[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android"))]
 use nix::fcntl::{open, OFlag};
 #[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android"))]
 use nix::sys::stat::Mode;
 use std::path::Path;
 use uucore::display::Quotable;
-use uucore::error::{UResult, USimpleError};
+use uucore::error::{FromIo, UResult, USimpleError};
 use uucore::format_usage;
 
 static ABOUT: &str = "Synchronize cached writes to persistent storage";
@@ -183,28 +181,8 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
         // Use the Nix open to be able to set the NONBLOCK flags for fifo files
         #[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android"))]
         {
-            match open(Path::new(&f), OFlag::O_NONBLOCK, Mode::empty()) {
-                Ok(_) => {}
-                Err(e) => {
-                    if e == Errno::ENOENT {
-                        return Err(USimpleError::new(
-                            1,
-                            format!("cannot stat {}: No such file or directory", f.quote()),
-                        ));
-                    }
-                    if e == Errno::EACCES {
-                        if Path::new(&f).is_dir() {
-                            return Err(USimpleError::new(
-                                1,
-                                format!("error opening {}: Permission denied", f.quote()),
-                            ));
-                        } else {
-                            // ignore the issue
-                            // ./target/debug/coreutils sync --data file
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-            }
+            open(Path::new(&f), OFlag::O_NONBLOCK, Mode::empty())
+                .map_err_context(|| format!("cannot stat {}", f.quote()))?;
         }
         #[cfg(not(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android")))]
         {
diff --git a/src/uucore/Cargo.toml b/src/uucore/Cargo.toml
index af78e3f94..240678b69 100644
--- a/src/uucore/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src/uucore/Cargo.toml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ os_display = "0.1.3"
 
 [target.'cfg(unix)'.dependencies]
 walkdir = { version="2.3.2", optional=true }
-nix = { version = "0.25", optional = true, default-features = false, features = ["fs", "uio", "zerocopy"] }
+nix = { version = "0.25", default-features = false, features = ["fs", "uio", "zerocopy"] }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 clap = "4.0"
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ default = []
 # * non-default features
 encoding = ["data-encoding", "data-encoding-macro", "z85", "thiserror"]
 entries = ["libc"]
-fs = ["libc", "nix", "winapi-util"]
-fsext = ["libc", "nix", "time"]
+fs = ["libc", "winapi-util"]
+fsext = ["libc", "time"]
 lines = []
 memo = ["itertools"]
 mode = ["libc"]
@@ -65,4 +65,4 @@ signals = []
 utf8 = []
 utmpx = ["time", "time/macros", "libc", "dns-lookup"]
 wide = []
-pipes = ["nix"]
+pipes = []
diff --git a/src/uucore/src/lib/mods/error.rs b/src/uucore/src/lib/mods/error.rs
index 4cc0b1519..7377c021b 100644
--- a/src/uucore/src/lib/mods/error.rs
+++ b/src/uucore/src/lib/mods/error.rs
@@ -508,6 +508,17 @@ impl From<std::io::Error> for Box<dyn UError> {
     }
 }
 
+impl<T> FromIo<UResult<T>> for Result<T, nix::Error> {
+    fn map_err_context(self, context: impl FnOnce() -> String) -> UResult<T> {
+        self.map_err(|e| {
+            Box::new(UIoError {
+                context: Some((context)()),
+                inner: std::io::Error::from_raw_os_error(e as i32),
+            }) as Box<dyn UError>
+        })
+    }
+}
+
 /// Shorthand to construct [`UIoError`]-instances.
 ///
 /// This macro serves as a convenience call to quickly construct instances of