diff --git a/src/uu/du/src/du.rs b/src/uu/du/src/du.rs
index a8fa90183bb..4e840c47b54 100644
--- a/src/uu/du/src/du.rs
+++ b/src/uu/du/src/du.rs
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ struct StatPrinter {
     time_format: String,
     line_ending: LineEnding,
     summarize: bool,
+    total_text: String,
 }
 
 #[derive(PartialEq, Clone)]
@@ -546,11 +547,7 @@ impl StatPrinter {
         }
 
         if self.total {
-            print!(
-                "{}\t{}",
-                self.convert_size(grand_total),
-                get_message("du-total")
-            );
+            print!("{}\t{}", self.convert_size(grand_total), self.total_text);
             print!("{}", self.line_ending);
         }
 
@@ -779,6 +776,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
         time,
         time_format,
         line_ending: LineEnding::from_zero_flag(matches.get_flag(options::NULL)),
+        total_text: get_message("du-total"),
     };
 
     if stat_printer.inodes
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_du.rs b/tests/by-util/test_du.rs
index 48043a83117..947236ad86b 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_du.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_du.rs
@@ -1295,3 +1295,25 @@ fn test_du_inodes_blocksize_ineffective() {
             );
     }
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_du_inodes_total_text() {
+    let ts = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    let at = &ts.fixtures;
+
+    at.mkdir_all("d/d");
+
+    let result = ts.ucmd().arg("--inodes").arg("-c").arg("d").succeeds();
+
+    let lines: Vec<&str> = result.stdout_str().lines().collect();
+
+    assert_eq!(lines.len(), 3);
+
+    let total_line = lines.last().unwrap();
+    assert!(total_line.contains("total"));
+
+    let parts: Vec<&str> = total_line.split('\t').collect();
+    assert_eq!(parts.len(), 2);
+
+    assert!(parts[0].parse::<u64>().is_ok());
+}