diff --git a/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs b/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs
index 32168b09009..5829738b049 100644
--- a/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs
+++ b/src/uu/cp/src/cp.rs
@@ -1409,7 +1409,13 @@ fn copy_source(
                 }
             }
         }
-        res
+        // this is just for gnu tests compatibility
+        Ok(res.map_err(|err| {
+            if err.to_string().contains("No such file or directory") {
+                return format!("cannot stat {}: No such file or directory", source.quote());
+            }
+            err.to_string()
+        })?)
     }
 }
 
@@ -2245,19 +2251,10 @@ fn copy_file(
     let context = context_for(source, dest);
     let context = context.as_str();
 
-    let source_metadata = {
-        let result = if options.dereference(source_in_command_line) {
-            fs::metadata(source)
-        } else {
-            fs::symlink_metadata(source)
-        };
-        // this is just for gnu tests compatibility
-        result.map_err(|err| {
-            if err.to_string().contains("No such file or directory") {
-                return format!("cannot stat {}: No such file or directory", source.quote());
-            }
-            err.to_string()
-        })?
+    let source_metadata = if options.dereference(source_in_command_line) {
+        fs::metadata(source)?
+    } else {
+        fs::symlink_metadata(source)?
     };
 
     let dest_permissions = calculate_dest_permissions(dest, &source_metadata, options, context)?;
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs b/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
index 7a0889b0fa6..799d121d850 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
@@ -5831,6 +5831,28 @@ fn test_cp_parents_absolute_path() {
     at.file_exists(res);
 }
 
+/// Test the behavior of copying a non existent file to a folder
+#[test]
+#[cfg(unix)]
+fn test_cp_existant_and_nonexistent_file() {
+    let scene = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    let at = &scene.fixtures;
+
+    at.mkdir(TEST_COPY_TO_FOLDER_NEW);
+
+    scene
+        .ucmd()
+        .arg("-a")
+        .arg(TEST_NONEXISTENT_FILE)
+        .arg(TEST_HELLO_WORLD_SOURCE)
+        .arg(TEST_COPY_TO_FOLDER_NEW)
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_only("cp: cannot stat 'nonexistent_file.txt': No such file or directory\n");
+
+    // Check existing file has been copied
+    assert!(at.file_exists(TEST_COPY_TO_FOLDER_NEW_FILE));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_copy_symlink_overwrite() {
     let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();