diff --git a/src/uu/od/src/input_offset.rs b/src/uu/od/src/input_offset.rs
index 6e5e36b5579..bb91b5439c5 100644
--- a/src/uu/od/src/input_offset.rs
+++ b/src/uu/od/src/input_offset.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ impl InputOffset {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Whether no input has been consumed yet, including skipped bytes.
+    pub fn is_at_start(&self) -> bool {
+        self.byte_pos == 0
+    }
+
     /// Increase `byte_pos` and `label` if a label is used.
     pub fn increase_position(&mut self, n: u64) {
         self.byte_pos += n;
diff --git a/src/uu/od/src/od.rs b/src/uu/od/src/od.rs
index 2b5d1c2b7f0..94c8fb1eca5 100644
--- a/src/uu/od/src/od.rs
+++ b/src/uu/od/src/od.rs
@@ -546,7 +546,10 @@ where
                 let length = memory_decoder.length();
 
                 if length == 0 {
-                    if !input_decoder.has_error() {
+                    // After a read error, print the final offset only when
+                    // some input was already consumed; otherwise stay silent
+                    // (e.g. `od directory` or `od missing`).
+                    if !input_decoder.has_error() || !input_offset.is_at_start() {
                         input_offset.write_final_offset(writer)?;
                     }
                     break;
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_od.rs b/tests/by-util/test_od.rs
index 5ebd456ce3d..e4182e0ca52 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_od.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_od.rs
@@ -1748,3 +1748,56 @@ fn test_od_zero_byte_type_size() {
         .succeeds()
         .stdout_is("0000000 64636261\n0000004\n");
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_final_offset_printed_when_an_input_fails() {
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+    at.write("a.txt", "a\n");
+    at.mkdir("d");
+
+    // The message for an unreadable input differs between platforms (WASI says
+    // "Bad file descriptor"), so only the prefix is checked here.
+    ucmd.args(&["a.txt", "d"])
+        .fails_with_code(1)
+        .stdout_is("0000000 005141\n0000002\n")
+        .stderr_contains("od: d:");
+}
+
+#[test]
+#[cfg(not(windows))]
+#[cfg_attr(wasi_runner, ignore)]
+fn test_no_final_offset_for_directory() {
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+    at.mkdir("d");
+
+    // A directory can be opened but not read; with no input consumed, there is
+    // no final offset to report.
+    ucmd.arg("d")
+        .fails_with_code(1)
+        .no_stdout()
+        .stderr_contains("od: d:");
+}
+
+#[test]
+#[cfg(not(windows))]
+#[cfg_attr(wasi_runner, ignore)]
+fn test_no_final_offset_for_directory_with_limited_read() {
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+    at.mkdir("d");
+
+    // Same as above, with -N limiting the read to one byte.
+    ucmd.args(&["-N1", "d"])
+        .fails_with_code(1)
+        .no_stdout()
+        .stderr_contains("od: d:");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_no_final_offset_when_no_input_can_be_opened() {
+    let (_at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+
+    ucmd.arg("missing")
+        .fails_with_code(1)
+        .no_stdout()
+        .stderr_contains("od: missing:");
+}