diff --git a/src/jsc/bindings/c-bindings.cpp b/src/jsc/bindings/c-bindings.cpp
index a5dc3ac28b1f..7567451d2a9a 100644
--- a/src/jsc/bindings/c-bindings.cpp
+++ b/src/jsc/bindings/c-bindings.cpp
@@ -88,13 +88,27 @@ extern "C" int32_t set_process_priority(int32_t pid, int32_t priority)
 }
 
 #if !OS(WINDOWS)
+#if defined(O_EXEC) && !OS(LINUX)
+// Not the owner-bit test below: like open(O_EXEC), it asks the kernel whether the effective user may execute the file.
+static NEVER_INLINE bool isExecutableFileByPath(const char* path)
+{
+    struct stat st;
+    return stat(path, &st) == 0 && S_ISREG(st.st_mode) && faccessat(AT_FDCWD, path, X_OK, AT_EACCESS) == 0;
+}
+#endif // defined(O_EXEC) && !OS(LINUX)
+
 extern "C" bool is_executable_file(const char* path)
 {
 #if defined(O_EXEC) && !OS(LINUX)
     // musl defines O_EXEC as O_PATH, which opens any file.
     int fd = open(path, O_EXEC | O_CLOEXEC | O_NONBLOCK | O_NOCTTY, 0);
-    if (fd < 0)
+    if (fd < 0) {
+        int error = errno;
+        // These two errors say that no descriptor was free. They are not an answer about the path.
+        if (error == EMFILE || error == ENFILE) [[unlikely]]
+            return isExecutableFileByPath(path);
         return false;
+    }
     close(fd);
     return true;
 #endif // defined(O_EXEC) && !OS(LINUX)
diff --git a/src/runtime/cli/open.rs b/src/runtime/cli/open.rs
index 567ea3f073ef..95f54216eb95 100644
--- a/src/runtime/cli/open.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/cli/open.rs
@@ -98,6 +98,13 @@ impl Editor {
                     let _ = opened.close(); // close error is non-actionable
                     return Some(path.as_bytes());
                 }
+                // No descriptor was free for the open, so ask about the path.
+                bun_sys::Result::Err(err)
+                    if matches!(err.get_errno(), bun_sys::E::EMFILE | bun_sys::E::ENFILE)
+                        && bun_sys::access(path, bun_sys::posix::R_OK).is_ok() =>
+                {
+                    return Some(path.as_bytes());
+                }
                 bun_sys::Result::Err(_) => {}
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/sys/lib.rs b/src/sys/lib.rs
index 903d7ed2fadd..5d1c0df4ba45 100644
--- a/src/sys/lib.rs
+++ b/src/sys/lib.rs
@@ -3021,7 +3021,7 @@ mod posix_impl {
             unsafe { libc::faccessat(dir.native(), sub.as_ptr(), libc::F_OK, 0) == 0 }
         }
     }
-    /// Calls extern C `is_executable_file` (c-bindings.cpp:72-89) via FFI.
+    /// Whether a `$PATH` search takes `path` as the command. `is_executable_file` in c-bindings.cpp has the rule of each platform. It answers also when the process has no descriptor left.
     pub fn is_executable_file_path(path: &ZStr) -> bool {
         unsafe extern "C" {
             // `c_char`, not `i8` — `char` is unsigned on aarch64/arm/ppc, so
diff --git a/test/js/bun/spawn/spawn-path.test.ts b/test/js/bun/spawn/spawn-path.test.ts
index 768bee78456a..f887cef03cca 100644
--- a/test/js/bun/spawn/spawn-path.test.ts
+++ b/test/js/bun/spawn/spawn-path.test.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,80 @@ echo "hello from script"`,
   expect(status).toBe(0);
 });
 
+// The PATH search needs no descriptor, so with none left the command is still found. The spawn then fails when it
+// makes the pipes, with EMFILE, as in Node. macOS opened each PATH candidate to test it, found nothing, and
+// reported ENOENT: "Executable not found in $PATH".
+test.skipIf(isWindows)("spawn finds a command on PATH when the process has no descriptor left", async () => {
+  using dir = tempDir("spawn-path-no-descriptor", { "tool": "#!/bin/sh\necho tool ran\n" });
+  chmodSync(path.join(String(dir), "tool"), 0o755);
+
+  const fixture = /* js */ `
+    const cp = require("node:child_process");
+    const fs = require("node:fs");
+    const env = { PATH: process.env.TOOL_DIR };
+    const code = fn => {
+      try {
+        fn();
+        return "spawned";
+      } catch (error) {
+        return error.code;
+      }
+    };
+    const spawnEvent = name =>
+      new Promise(resolve => {
+        const child = cp.spawn(name, [], { env, stdio: "pipe" });
+        child.once("error", error => resolve(error.code));
+        child.once("close", () => resolve("spawned"));
+      });
+
+    // A debug build reads its internal modules from disk on first use, and that needs a descriptor.
+    const warmUp = [
+      cp.spawnSync("tool", [], { env, stdio: "pipe" }).status,
+      Bun.spawnSync({ cmd: ["tool"], env, stdout: "pipe", stderr: "pipe" }).exitCode,
+      await spawnEvent("tool"),
+      await spawnEvent("missing-tool"),
+    ];
+
+    const held = [];
+    try {
+      for (;;) held.push(fs.openSync("/dev/null", "r"));
+    } catch {}
+    const noDescriptorLeft = {
+      "child_process.spawnSync": cp.spawnSync("tool", [], { env, stdio: "pipe" }).error?.code,
+      "child_process.spawn": await spawnEvent("tool"),
+      "Bun.spawnSync": code(() => Bun.spawnSync({ cmd: ["tool"], env, stdout: "pipe", stderr: "pipe" })),
+      "Bun.spawn": code(() => Bun.spawn({ cmd: ["tool"], env, stdout: "pipe", stderr: "pipe" })),
+    };
+    for (const fd of held) fs.closeSync(fd);
+
+    const afterClose = cp.spawnSync("tool", [], { env, stdio: "pipe", encoding: "utf8" }).stdout;
+    console.log(JSON.stringify({ warmUp, heldSome: held.length > 0, noDescriptorLeft, afterClose }));
+  `;
+
+  await using proc = Bun.spawn({
+    // `ulimit -n` also sets the hard limit, so the runtime cannot raise it again.
+    cmd: ["/bin/sh", "-c", 'ulimit -n 128 && exec "$@"', "sh", bunExe(), "-e", fixture],
+    env: { ...bunEnv, TOOL_DIR: String(dir) },
+    stdout: "pipe",
+    stderr: "pipe",
+  });
+  const [stdout, stderr, exitCode] = await Promise.all([proc.stdout.text(), proc.stderr.text(), proc.exited]);
+
+  expect(stderr).toBe("");
+  expect(JSON.parse(stdout)).toEqual({
+    warmUp: [0, 0, "spawned", "ENOENT"],
+    heldSome: true,
+    noDescriptorLeft: {
+      "child_process.spawnSync": "EMFILE",
+      "child_process.spawn": "EMFILE",
+      "Bun.spawnSync": "EMFILE",
+      "Bun.spawn": "EMFILE",
+    },
+    afterClose: "tool ran\n",
+  });
+  expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+});
+
 // What a Windows environment has. bunEnv spells it `PATH`.
 test.skipIf(!isWindows)("spawn uses the PATH that env spells `Path`", async () => {
   using dir = tempDir("spawn-path-spelling", { "only-here.cmd": "@echo found\r\n" });
diff --git a/test/js/bun/spawn/spawn-sync-loop-init-fail.test.ts b/test/js/bun/spawn/spawn-sync-loop-init-fail.test.ts
index dee0c8c0d73c..31f5e3ff3865 100644
--- a/test/js/bun/spawn/spawn-sync-loop-init-fail.test.ts
+++ b/test/js/bun/spawn/spawn-sync-loop-init-fail.test.ts
@@ -13,10 +13,11 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
 import { bunEnv, bunExe, isPosix } from "harness";
 
-// Absolute argv[0] so PATH lookup (which_for_spawn) is skipped; on musl that
-// lookup fails under EMFILE before the event loop is created and turns the
-// failure into ENOENT instead of exercising us_create_loop.
-const fixture = /* js */ `
+// `/bin/sh` skips the PATH lookup (which_for_spawn), so that row tests
+// us_create_loop alone. `sh` runs the lookup before the event loop is created:
+// the lookup must find the command with no descriptor free, and then the
+// failure comes from us_create_loop all the same.
+const fixture = (command: string) => /* js */ `
   import * as fs from "node:fs";
   // Warm anything lazily opened on first use so the fd fill below leaves zero
   // descriptors for us_create_loop itself (not for a module loader read).
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ const fixture = /* js */ `
 
   let first;
   try {
-    Bun.spawnSync({ cmd: ["/bin/sh", "-c", ":"], stdio: ["ignore", "ignore", "ignore"] });
+    Bun.spawnSync({ cmd: [${JSON.stringify(command)}, "-c", ":"], stdio: ["ignore", "ignore", "ignore"] });
     first = { ok: false, msg: "UNEXPECTED: spawnSync succeeded" };
   } catch (e) {
     first = { ok: true, code: e?.code, msg: String(e?.message ?? e) };
@@ -40,16 +41,17 @@ const fixture = /* js */ `
 
   // Descriptors are free again: the isolated loop was not cached on failure,
   // so this call creates it successfully and runs the child.
-  const retry = Bun.spawnSync({ cmd: ["/bin/sh", "-c", ":"], stdio: ["ignore", "ignore", "ignore"] });
+  const retry = Bun.spawnSync({ cmd: [${JSON.stringify(command)}, "-c", ":"], stdio: ["ignore", "ignore", "ignore"] });
   console.error("retry exit:", retry.exitCode);
   console.error("SURVIVED");
 `;
 
 describe.skipIf(!isPosix)("Bun.spawnSync event-loop creation under EMFILE", () => {
-  test("throws instead of aborting the process", async () => {
+  test.concurrent.each(["/bin/sh", "sh"])("throws instead of aborting the process: %s", async command => {
     await using proc = Bun.spawn({
-      cmd: ["/bin/sh", "-c", `ulimit -n 512 && exec "$1" --no-install -e "$2"`, "sh", bunExe(), fixture],
-      env: bunEnv,
+      cmd: ["/bin/sh", "-c", `ulimit -n 512 && exec "$1" --no-install -e "$2"`, "sh", bunExe(), fixture(command)],
+      // A fixed PATH, so that the `sh` row finds its command whatever PATH the test runner has.
+      env: { ...bunEnv, PATH: "/bin:/usr/bin" },
       stdout: "pipe",
       stderr: "pipe",
     });
diff --git a/test/js/bun/util/which.test.ts b/test/js/bun/util/which.test.ts
index 63b2de42ab2b..0503ec08e3ad 100644
--- a/test/js/bun/util/which.test.ts
+++ b/test/js/bun/util/which.test.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import { $, which } from "bun";
 import { dlopen, ptr } from "bun:ffi";
 import { expect, jest, test } from "bun:test";
-import { isArm64, isIntelMacOS, isWindows, tempDir, tmpdirSync } from "harness";
+import { bunEnv, bunExe, isArm64, isIntelMacOS, isMacOS, isWindows, tempDir, tmpdirSync } from "harness";
+import { mkfifo } from "mkfifo";
 import { chmodSync, copyFileSync, existsSync, mkdirSync, realpathSync, rmdirSync, rmSync, symlinkSync } from "node:fs";
-import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { tmpdir, userInfo } from "node:os";
 import { basename, join } from "node:path";
 
 $.nothrow();
@@ -409,3 +410,144 @@ test("Bun.which can find executables in a non-ascii directory", async () => {
     process.chdir(cwd);
   }
 });
+
+// Runs `fixture` with a low descriptor limit, so that it can use up every descriptor in a short loop.
+// `ulimit -n` also sets the hard limit, so the runtime cannot raise it again.
+async function runWithDescriptorLimit(fixture: string, env: Record<string, string>) {
+  await using proc = Bun.spawn({
+    cmd: ["/bin/sh", "-c", 'ulimit -n 128 && exec "$@"', "sh", bunExe(), "-e", fixture],
+    env: { ...bunEnv, ...env },
+    stdout: "pipe",
+    stderr: "pipe",
+  });
+  const [stdout, stderr, exitCode] = await Promise.all([proc.stdout.text(), proc.stderr.text(), proc.exited]);
+  return { stdout, stderr, exitCode };
+}
+
+// The lookup asks a question about a path, which needs no descriptor. macOS opened each candidate to ask it, so
+// with no descriptor left every command was "not found".
+test.skipIf(isWindows)("which finds a command when the process has no descriptor left", async () => {
+  // On macOS an ACL can refuse a file that has the execute bits, and grant one that has none. The owner bit says the
+  // opposite for both files, so these rows fail if the lookup reads only the mode when it has no descriptor.
+  const aclRows = isMacOS && process.getuid!() !== 0;
+  using dir = tempDir("which-no-descriptor", {
+    "tool": "#!/bin/sh\n",
+    "not-executable": "#!/bin/sh\n",
+    "folder/keep": "",
+    ...(aclRows ? { "acl-denied": "#!/bin/sh\n", "acl-allowed": "#!/bin/sh\n" } : {}),
+  });
+  const base = String(dir);
+  chmodSync(join(base, "tool"), 0o755);
+  chmodSync(join(base, "not-executable"), 0o644);
+  symlinkSync("tool", join(base, "link"));
+  mkfifo(join(base, "fifo"), 0o755);
+  const acls: [file: string, mode: number, entry: string][] = aclRows
+    ? [
+        ["acl-denied", 0o755, "everyone deny execute"],
+        ["acl-allowed", 0o644, `${userInfo().username} allow execute`],
+      ]
+    : [];
+
+  const fixture = /* js */ `
+    const fs = require("node:fs");
+    const dir = process.env.TOOL_DIR;
+    const lookups = () => ({
+      bare: Bun.which("tool", { PATH: dir }),
+      relative: Bun.which("./tool", { PATH: "", cwd: dir }),
+      absolute: Bun.which(dir + "/tool", { PATH: "" }),
+      symlink: Bun.which("link", { PATH: dir }),
+      notExecutable: Bun.which("not-executable", { PATH: dir }),
+      fifo: Bun.which("fifo", { PATH: dir }),
+      directory: Bun.which("folder", { PATH: dir }),
+      missing: Bun.which("missing", { PATH: dir }),
+      ...(process.env.ACL_ROWS && {
+        aclDenied: Bun.which("acl-denied", { PATH: dir }),
+        aclAllowed: Bun.which("acl-allowed", { PATH: dir }),
+      }),
+    });
+    const withDescriptors = lookups();
+    const held = [];
+    try {
+      for (;;) held.push(fs.openSync("/dev/null", "r"));
+    } catch {}
+    const withoutDescriptors = lookups();
+    // LeakSanitizer reads /proc/self/task at exit, which needs a free descriptor.
+    for (const fd of held) fs.closeSync(fd);
+    console.log(JSON.stringify({ heldSome: held.length > 0, withDescriptors, withoutDescriptors }));
+  `;
+  try {
+    for (const [file, mode, entry] of acls) {
+      chmodSync(join(base, file), mode);
+      const { exitCode, stderr } = Bun.spawnSync(["/bin/chmod", "+a", entry, join(base, file)]);
+      expect({ file, exitCode, stderr: stderr.toString() }).toEqual({ file, exitCode: 0, stderr: "" });
+    }
+    const { stdout, stderr, exitCode } = await runWithDescriptorLimit(fixture, {
+      TOOL_DIR: base,
+      ACL_ROWS: aclRows ? "1" : "",
+    });
+
+    const answers = {
+      bare: join(base, "tool"),
+      relative: join(base, "tool"),
+      absolute: join(base, "tool"),
+      symlink: join(base, "link"),
+      notExecutable: null,
+      fifo: null,
+      directory: null,
+      missing: null,
+      ...(aclRows && { aclDenied: null, aclAllowed: join(base, "acl-allowed") }),
+    };
+    expect(stderr).toBe("");
+    expect(JSON.parse(stdout)).toEqual({ heldSome: true, withDescriptors: answers, withoutDescriptors: answers });
+    expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+  } finally {
+    for (const [file] of acls) Bun.spawnSync(["/bin/chmod", "-N", join(base, file)]);
+  }
+});
+
+// Each step has one more descriptor free than the step before. A step either fails for want of a descriptor or
+// runs the command. On macOS the step that had descriptors for the shell but none for the lookup printed
+// "bun: command not found: tool".
+test.skipIf(isWindows)("the shell does not call a command missing when descriptors run out", async () => {
+  using dir = tempDir("which-shell-no-descriptor", { "tool": "#!/bin/sh\necho tool ran\n" });
+  chmodSync(join(String(dir), "tool"), 0o755);
+
+  const fixture = /* js */ `
+    const fs = require("node:fs");
+    Bun.$.env({ PATH: process.env.TOOL_DIR });
+    async function run() {
+      try {
+        const { exitCode, stdout, stderr } = await Bun.$\`tool\`.nothrow().quiet();
+        if (exitCode === 0 && stdout.toString() === "tool ran\\n") return "ran";
+        if (exitCode !== 0 && stderr.toString().includes("Too many open files")) return "EMFILE";
+        return { exitCode, stdout: stdout.toString(), stderr: stderr.toString() };
+      } catch (error) {
+        return error.code ?? String(error);
+      }
+    }
+    // A debug build reads its internal modules from disk on first use, and that needs a descriptor.
+    const warmUp = await run();
+    const held = [];
+    try {
+      for (;;) held.push(fs.openSync("/dev/null", "r"));
+    } catch {}
+    const steps = [];
+    while (held.length > 0 && steps.at(-1) !== "ran") {
+      steps.push(await run());
+      fs.closeSync(held.pop());
+    }
+    for (const fd of held) fs.closeSync(fd);
+    console.log(JSON.stringify({ warmUp, steps }));
+  `;
+  const { stdout, stderr, exitCode } = await runWithDescriptorLimit(fixture, { TOOL_DIR: String(dir) });
+
+  expect(stderr).toBe("");
+  const { warmUp, steps } = JSON.parse(stdout);
+  expect({
+    warmUp,
+    first: steps[0],
+    last: steps.at(-1),
+    neitherOutOfDescriptorsNorRan: steps.filter((step: unknown) => step !== "EMFILE" && step !== "ran"),
+  }).toEqual({ warmUp: "ran", first: "EMFILE", last: "ran", neitherOutOfDescriptorsNorRan: [] });
+  expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+});