diff --git a/src/node_file.cc b/src/node_file.cc
index fbab726afb4fa0..c3ab573b2995d4 100644
--- a/src/node_file.cc
+++ b/src/node_file.cc
@@ -1246,6 +1246,9 @@ int MKDirpSync(uv_loop_t* loop,
         case UV_EPERM: {
           return err;
         }
+        case UV_EACCES: {
+          return err;
+        }
         default:
           uv_fs_req_cleanup(req);
           int orig_err = err;
@@ -1322,6 +1325,10 @@ int MKDirpAsync(uv_loop_t* loop,
           req_wrap->continuation_data()->Done(err);
           break;
         }
+        case UV_EACCES: {
+          req_wrap->continuation_data()->Done(err);
+          break;
+        }
         default:
           uv_fs_req_cleanup(req);
           // Stash err for use in the callback.
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-fs-mkdir-recursive-eaccess.js b/test/parallel/test-fs-mkdir-recursive-eaccess.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..cb420c18489748
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-fs-mkdir-recursive-eaccess.js
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+'use strict';
+
+// Test that mkdir with recursive option returns appropriate error
+// when executed on folder it does not have permission to access.
+// Ref: https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/31481
+
+const common = require('../common');
+
+if (!common.isWindows && process.getuid() === 0)
+  common.skip('as this test should not be run as `root`');
+
+if (common.isIBMi)
+  common.skip('IBMi has a different access permission mechanism');
+
+const tmpdir = require('../common/tmpdir');
+tmpdir.refresh();
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+
+let n = 0;
+
+// Synchronous API should return an EACCESS error with path populated.
+{
+  const dir = path.join(tmpdir.path, `mkdirp_${n++}`);
+  fs.mkdirSync(dir);
+  fs.chmodSync(dir, '444');
+  let err = null;
+  try {
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(dir, '/foo'), { recursive: true });
+  } catch (_err) {
+    err = _err;
+  }
+  assert(err);
+  assert.strictEqual(err.code, 'EACCES');
+  assert(err.path);
+}
+
+// Asynchronous API should return an EACCESS error with path populated.
+{
+  const dir = path.join(tmpdir.path, `mkdirp_${n++}`);
+  fs.mkdirSync(dir);
+  fs.chmodSync(dir, '444');
+  fs.mkdir(path.join(dir, '/bar'), { recursive: true }, (err) => {
+    assert(err);
+    assert.strictEqual(err.code, 'EACCES');
+    assert(err.path);
+  });
+}