diff --git a/lib/wasix/src/syscalls/wasi/path_open.rs b/lib/wasix/src/syscalls/wasi/path_open.rs
index 833dc3a3df7..2a754835ff5 100644
--- a/lib/wasix/src/syscalls/wasi/path_open.rs
+++ b/lib/wasix/src/syscalls/wasi/path_open.rs
@@ -209,6 +209,11 @@ pub(crate) fn path_open_internal(
         let mut guard = processing_inode.write();
 
         let deref_mut = guard.deref_mut();
+
+        if o_flags.contains(Oflags::EXCL) && o_flags.contains(Oflags::CREATE) {
+            return Ok(Err(Errno::Exist));
+        }
+
         match deref_mut {
             Kind::File {
                 ref mut handle,
@@ -224,9 +229,6 @@ pub(crate) fn path_open_internal(
                 if o_flags.contains(Oflags::DIRECTORY) {
                     return Ok(Err(Errno::Notdir));
                 }
-                if o_flags.contains(Oflags::EXCL) {
-                    return Ok(Err(Errno::Exist));
-                }
 
                 let open_options = open_options
                     .write(minimum_rights.write)
diff --git a/tests/wasi-fyi/fs_open_dir_excl.rs b/tests/wasi-fyi/fs_open_dir_excl.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9d2a19b5c47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/wasi-fyi/fs_open_dir_excl.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+use std::ffi::CString;
+use std::fs;
+
+#[link(wasm_import_module = "wasi_snapshot_preview1")]
+extern "C" {
+    pub fn path_open(
+        fd: i32,
+        dirflags: i32,
+        path: i32,
+        path_len: i32,
+        oflags: i32,
+        fs_rights_base: i64,
+        fs_rights_inheriting: i64,
+        fdflags: i32,
+        result_fd: i32,
+    ) -> i32;
+}
+
+const ERRNO_SUCCESS: i32 = 0;
+const ERRNO_EXIST: i32 = 20;
+const OFLAGS_CREAT: i32 = 1;
+const OFLAGS_EXCL: i32 = 4;
+const RIGHTS_FD_READ: i64 = 2;
+const RIGHTS_FD_WRITE: i64 = 64;
+
+fn main() {
+    unsafe {
+        let fd = 5;
+        let path0 = CString::new("fyi/fs_open_dir_excl.dir").unwrap();
+        let path1 = CString::new("fyi/fs_open_dir_excl.dir/file").unwrap();
+        let errno = path_open(
+            fd,
+            0,
+            path0.as_ptr() as i32,
+            path0.as_bytes().len() as i32,
+            OFLAGS_CREAT | OFLAGS_EXCL,
+            RIGHTS_FD_READ | RIGHTS_FD_WRITE,
+            0,
+            0,
+            1024,
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            errno, ERRNO_EXIST,
+            "opening an existing directory with excl should fail"
+        );
+
+        let _ = fs::remove_file("/fyi/fs_open_dir_excl.dir/file");
+        let errno = path_open(
+            fd,
+            0,
+            path1.as_ptr() as i32,
+            path1.as_bytes().len() as i32,
+            OFLAGS_CREAT | OFLAGS_EXCL,
+            RIGHTS_FD_READ | RIGHTS_FD_WRITE,
+            0,
+            0,
+            1024,
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            errno, ERRNO_SUCCESS,
+            "opening a non-existing path with excl should succeed"
+        );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/wasi-fyi/test_fs/fyi/fs_open_dir_excl.dir/file b/tests/wasi-fyi/test_fs/fyi/fs_open_dir_excl.dir/file
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d