diff --git a/src/uu/chmod/src/chmod.rs b/src/uu/chmod/src/chmod.rs
index 24566272b23..b7e0f3fd965 100644
--- a/src/uu/chmod/src/chmod.rs
+++ b/src/uu/chmod/src/chmod.rs
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ impl Chmoder {
                 return Err(ChmodError::PreserveRoot("/".into()).into());
             }
             if self.recursive {
-                r = self.walk_dir_with_context(file, true);
+                r = self.walk_dir_with_context(file, true).and(r);
             } else {
                 r = self.chmod_file(file).and(r);
             }
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_chmod.rs b/tests/by-util/test_chmod.rs
index 446cdd6d39e..5e340732832 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_chmod.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_chmod.rs
@@ -375,6 +375,38 @@ fn test_permission_denied() {
         .stderr_is("chmod: cannot access 'd/no-x/y': Permission denied\n");
 }
 
+#[test]
+#[allow(clippy::unreadable_literal)]
+fn test_chmod_recursive_correct_exit_code() {
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+
+    // create 3 folders to test on
+    at.mkdir("a");
+    at.mkdir("a/b");
+    at.mkdir("z");
+
+    // remove read permissions for folder a so the chmod command for a/b fails
+    let mut perms = at.metadata("a").permissions();
+    perms.set_mode(0o000);
+    set_permissions(at.plus_as_string("a"), perms).unwrap();
+
+    #[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+    let err_msg = "chmod: Permission denied\n";
+    #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+    let err_msg = "chmod: cannot access 'a': Permission denied\n";
+
+    // order of command is a, a/b then c
+    // command is expected to fail and not just take the last exit code
+    ucmd.arg("-R")
+        .arg("--verbose")
+        .arg("a+w")
+        .arg("a")
+        .arg("z")
+        .umask(0)
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_is(err_msg);
+}
+
 #[test]
 #[allow(clippy::unreadable_literal)]
 fn test_chmod_recursive() {