diff --git a/lix/libutil/file-system.cc b/lix/libutil/file-system.cc
index 0e688ec20..8702968a7 100644
--- a/lix/libutil/file-system.cc
+++ b/lix/libutil/file-system.cc
@@ -824,22 +824,23 @@ void moveFile(const Path & oldName, const Path & newName)
     try {
         fs::rename(oldName, newName);
     } catch (fs::filesystem_error & e) { // NOLINT(lix-foreign-exceptions)
-        auto oldPath = fs::path(oldName);
-        auto newPath = fs::path(newName);
-        // For the move to be as atomic as possible, copy to a temporary
-        // directory
         try {
+            if (e.code().value() != EXDEV) {
+                throw SysError(e.code().value(), "failed to move %s to %s", oldName, newName);
+            }
+            auto oldPath = fs::path(oldName);
+            auto newPath = fs::path(newName);
+            // For the move to be as atomic as possible, copy to a temporary
+            // directory
             fs::path temp = createTempSubdir(newPath.parent_path(), "rename-tmp");
             Finally removeTemp = [&]() { fs::remove(temp); };
             auto tempCopyTarget = temp / "copy-target";
-            if (e.code().value() == EXDEV) {
-                fs::remove(newPath);
-                printTaggedWarning("Can’t rename %s as %s, copying instead", oldName, newName);
-                copy(fs::directory_entry(oldPath), tempCopyTarget, {.deleteAfter = true});
-                fs::rename(tempCopyTarget, newPath);
-            }
+            fs::remove(newPath);
+            printTaggedWarning("Can’t rename %s as %s, copying instead", oldName, newName);
+            copy(fs::directory_entry(oldPath), tempCopyTarget, {.deleteAfter = true});
+            fs::rename(tempCopyTarget, newPath);
         } catch (fs::filesystem_error & e) { // NOLINT(lix-foreign-exceptions)
-            throw Error("failed to move %s to %s: %s", oldName, newName, e.what());
+            throw SysError(e.code().value(), "failed to move %s to %s", oldName, newName);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/unit/libutil/tests.cc b/tests/unit/libutil/tests.cc
index 34ced9f18..064d03b56 100644
--- a/tests/unit/libutil/tests.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/libutil/tests.cc
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include "lix/libstore/temporary-dir.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/c-calls.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/file-system.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/processes.hh"
@@ -210,6 +211,31 @@ namespace nix {
         ASSERT_FALSE(pathExists("/schnitzel/darmstadt/pommes"));
     }
 
+    /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+     * moveFile
+     * --------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+    TEST(moveFile, handlesErrors)
+    {
+        auto tmpDir = createTempDir();
+        AutoDelete _delete(tmpDir);
+
+        auto source = tmpDir + "/source";
+        auto target = tmpDir + "/target";
+
+        // xdev should cause copies, everything else must throw. this is a small selection.
+        ASSERT_THROW(moveFile(source, target), Error); // ENOENT
+        createDirs(source);
+        createSymlink(target, target);
+        ASSERT_THROW(moveFile(source, target), Error); // ENOTDIR
+        ASSERT_THROW(moveFile(target, source), Error); // EISDIR
+        ASSERT_THROW(moveFile(target + "/foo", source), Error); // ELOOP
+
+        deletePath(target);
+        createDirs(target + "/snafu");
+        ASSERT_THROW(moveFile(source, target), Error); // ENOTEMPTY or EEXIST
+    }
+
     /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
      * AutoCloseFD::guessOrInventPath
      * --------------------------------------------------------------------------*/