diff --git a/lib/internal/fs/rimraf.js b/lib/internal/fs/rimraf.js
index 675c2448c4568c..b2307fd14ead99 100644
--- a/lib/internal/fs/rimraf.js
+++ b/lib/internal/fs/rimraf.js
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ function _rmdirSync(path, options, originalErr) {
   } catch (err) {
     if (err.code === 'ENOENT')
       return;
-    if (err.code === 'ENOTDIR')
+    if (err.code === 'EACCES' || err.code === 'ENOTDIR')
       throw originalErr;
 
     if (notEmptyErrorCodes.has(err.code)) {
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-recursive-rm-busy-loop-windows.js b/test/parallel/test-recursive-rm-busy-loop-windows.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..7ca7f75bc1f820
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-recursive-rm-busy-loop-windows.js
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+'use strict';
+const common = require('../common');
+
+// This test ensures that recursive rm throws EACCES instead of
+// going into a busy-loop for this scenario:
+// https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/34580
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const { execSync } = require('child_process');
+const tmpdir = require('../common/tmpdir');
+const { join } = require('path');
+
+if (common.isIBMi)
+  common.skip('IBMi has a different access permission mechanism');
+
+if (!(common.isWindows || process.getuid() !== 0))
+  common.skip('Test is not supposed to be run as root.');
+
+tmpdir.refresh();
+
+function makeDirectoryReadOnly(dir) {
+  if (common.isWindows) {
+    execSync(`icacls ${dir} /deny "everyone:(OI)(CI)(DE,DC)"`);
+  } else {
+    fs.chmodSync(dir, 0o444);
+  }
+}
+
+function makeDirectoryWritable(dir) {
+  if (common.isWindows) {
+    execSync(`icacls ${dir} /remove:d "everyone"`);
+  } else {
+    fs.chmodSync(dir, 0o777);
+  }
+}
+
+function rmdirRecursiveSync() {
+  const root = fs.mkdtempSync(tmpdir.path);
+
+  const middle = join(root, 'middle');
+  fs.mkdirSync(middle);
+  fs.mkdirSync(join(middle, 'leaf')); // Make `middle` non-empty
+  makeDirectoryReadOnly(middle);
+
+  try {
+    assert.throws(() => {
+      fs.rmSync(root, { recursive: true });
+    }, /EACCES/);
+  } finally {
+    makeDirectoryWritable(middle);
+  }
+}
+
+rmdirRecursiveSync();