diff --git a/.github/contributors.yaml b/.github/contributors.yaml
index 7f7307a3..288f2bd4 100644
--- a/.github/contributors.yaml
+++ b/.github/contributors.yaml
@@ -128,3 +128,6 @@ users:
   OdysseasKalaitsidis:
     name: Odysseas Kalaitsidis
     email: odysseaskalaitsides@gmail.com
+  srinivasr:
+    name: B Srinivas Reddy
+    email: sriniv4sreddy@gmail.com
diff --git a/pkg/unikontainers/utils.go b/pkg/unikontainers/utils.go
index 90b9500c..f81f1e77 100644
--- a/pkg/unikontainers/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/unikontainers/utils.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
@@ -209,16 +210,20 @@ func remove(s []string, i int) []string {
 }
 
 func checkValidNsPath(path string) error {
-	// only set to join this namespace if it exists
-	if _, err := os.Lstat(path); err != nil {
-		return ErrNotExistingNS
-	}
 	// do not allow namespace path with comma as we use it to separate
 	// the namespace paths
 	if strings.ContainsRune(path, ',') {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid namespace path %s", path)
 	}
 
+	// only set to join this namespace if it exists
+	if _, err := os.Lstat(path); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+			return ErrNotExistingNS
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to validate namespace path %s: %w", path, err)
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/unikontainers/utils_test.go b/pkg/unikontainers/utils_test.go
index 2d23ea33..065c7ca7 100644
--- a/pkg/unikontainers/utils_test.go
+++ b/pkg/unikontainers/utils_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package unikontainers
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
@@ -340,3 +341,73 @@ func TestLoadSpec(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "failed to parse specification json", "Expected specific error message")
 	})
 }
+
+// TestCheckValidNsPath checks that checkValidNsPath distinguishes between
+// a missing namespace path (returns ErrNotExistingNS) and other filesystem
+// errors (permission denied, I/O errors, etc.) which are wrapped and returned.
+func TestCheckValidNsPath(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	t.Run("missing path returns ErrNotExistingNS", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		err := checkValidNsPath("/nonexistent/path/that/does/not/exist")
+		assert.ErrorIs(t, err, ErrNotExistingNS)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("empty path returns ErrNotExistingNS", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		err := checkValidNsPath("")
+		assert.ErrorIs(t, err, ErrNotExistingNS)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("valid path returns nil", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+		err := checkValidNsPath(tmpDir)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("path with comma returns error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+		commaPath := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "path,with,comma")
+		// Create the path first so it exists
+		err := os.MkdirAll(commaPath, 0755)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		err = checkValidNsPath(commaPath)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "invalid namespace path")
+		assert.NotEqual(t, ErrNotExistingNS, err)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("permission denied returns wrapped error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		// Skip when running as root since root bypasses directory permissions
+		if os.Geteuid() == 0 {
+			t.Skip("skipping permission-denied test when running as root")
+		}
+		// Create a directory with no permissions and a file inside it
+		// This simulates a real permission-denied error from os.Lstat
+		tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+		restrictedDir := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "restricted")
+		err := os.Mkdir(restrictedDir, 0755)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		restrictedFile := filepath.Join(restrictedDir, "file")
+		err = os.WriteFile(restrictedFile, []byte("test"), 0600)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		// Now remove all permissions from the directory
+		err = os.Chmod(restrictedDir, 0000)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		t.Cleanup(func() { _ = os.Chmod(restrictedDir, 0755) }) // cleanup
+
+		err = checkValidNsPath(restrictedFile)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.NotEqual(t, ErrNotExistingNS, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "failed to validate namespace path")
+		// Verify the underlying error is a permission error
+		assert.True(t, errors.Is(err, os.ErrPermission) || errors.Is(err, fs.ErrPermission))
+	})
+}