diff --git a/runtime/lua/nvim/dir.lua b/runtime/lua/nvim/dir.lua
index f8b0b6b2d3..0b60fe4d00 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/nvim/dir.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/nvim/dir.lua
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ local M = {}
 
 ---@class (private) nvim.dir.State
 ---@field gen integer
+---@field err? string
 ---@field provider? nvim.dir.Provider
 
 local listing_group = api.nvim_create_augroup('nvim.dir.listing', { clear = false })
@@ -212,7 +213,8 @@ function load(buf, name, provider, restore_view, setup, select)
   local list_gen = state.gen + 1
   state.gen = list_gen
   vim.b[buf].nvim_dir = state
-  -- Discard the listing state if the initial load fails, but preserve an existing listing on reload failure.
+  -- Render an empty listing (retried by "R" or :edit) if the initial load fails,
+  -- but preserve an existing listing on reload failure.
   local first_render = state.provider == nil
   local done = false
 
@@ -229,10 +231,12 @@ function load(buf, name, provider, restore_view, setup, select)
     end
     if err ~= nil then
       notify_error(err)
-      if first_render then
-        close_listing(buf)
+      if not first_render then
+        current_state.err = err
+        vim.b[buf].nvim_dir = current_state
+        return
       end
-      return
+      entries = {}
     end
     ---@cast entries nvim.dir.Entry[]
 
@@ -248,7 +252,7 @@ function load(buf, name, provider, restore_view, setup, select)
     if select and api.nvim_get_current_buf() == buf then
       select_entry(select)
     end
-    current_state.provider = provider
+    current_state.err, current_state.provider = err, provider
     vim.b[buf].nvim_dir = current_state
 
     if not setup then
diff --git a/test/functional/plugin/dir_spec.lua b/test/functional/plugin/dir_spec.lua
index 1f178932c8..b71d43a604 100644
--- a/test/functional/plugin/dir_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/plugin/dir_spec.lua
@@ -235,8 +235,13 @@ describe('nvim.dir', function()
 
     exec_lua(function()
       require('nvim.dir').open(0, 'custom://error', {
-        list = function(_, _, cb)
-          cb('simulated error')
+        list = function(buf, _, cb)
+          vim.b[buf].custom_fail = (vim.b[buf].custom_fail or 0) + 1
+          if vim.b[buf].custom_fail == 1 then
+            cb('simulated error')
+          else
+            cb(nil, { { name = 'recovered.txt', dir = false } })
+          end
         end,
         open = function() end,
         open_parent = function() end,
@@ -244,7 +249,49 @@ describe('nvim.dir', function()
     end)
 
     ok(exec_capture('messages'):find('simulated error', 1, true) ~= nil)
-    eq(false, exec_lua([[return vim.b.nvim_dir ~= nil]]))
+    -- A failed initial load renders an empty listing that "R" can retry.
+    eq('simulated error', exec_lua([[return vim.b.nvim_dir.err]]))
+    eq({ '' }, lines())
+    eq('nowrite', bufopt('buftype'))
+    eq(false, bufopt('modifiable'))
+    feed('R')
+    poke_eventloop()
+    eq({ 'recovered.txt' }, lines())
+    eq(vim.NIL, exec_lua([[return vim.b.nvim_dir.err]]))
+  end)
+
+  it('failed directory open does not repeat the error on every BufEnter', function()
+    t.skip(t.is_os('win'), 'directory permissions are POSIX-only')
+    t.skip(vim.uv.getuid() == 0, 'root ignores directory permissions')
+    n.clear({ args = { '--clean' } })
+    make_fixture()
+    local locked = root .. '/locked'
+    t.mkdir(locked)
+    finally(function()
+      vim.uv.fs_chmod(locked, tonumber('755', 8))
+    end)
+    vim.uv.fs_chmod(locked, 0)
+
+    edit(root)
+    api.nvim_win_set_cursor(0, { line_of('locked/'), 0 })
+    feed('<CR>')
+    poke_eventloop()
+    local function count_errors()
+      local _, n_errors = exec_capture('messages'):gsub('EACCES', '')
+      return n_errors
+    end
+    eq(1, count_errors())
+    ok(exec_lua([[return vim.b.nvim_dir.err]]):find('EACCES', 1, true) ~= nil)
+    eq('nowrite', bufopt('buftype'))
+    edit(file)
+    feed('<C-^>')
+    poke_eventloop()
+    eq(1, count_errors())
+    vim.uv.fs_chmod(locked, tonumber('755', 8))
+    t.write_file(locked .. '/inside.txt', 'inside', true)
+    feed('R')
+    poke_eventloop()
+    eq({ 'inside.txt' }, lines())
   end)
 
   it('reloads custom listing providers', function()
@@ -587,6 +634,7 @@ describe('nvim.dir', function()
     poke_eventloop()
 
     ok(exec_capture('messages'):find('ENOENT', 1, true) ~= nil)
+    ok(exec_lua([[return vim.b.nvim_dir.err]]):find('ENOENT', 1, true) ~= nil)
     assert_directory(subdir)
   end)