diff --git a/internal/sync/tar.go b/internal/sync/tar.go
index 216155e44c0..64ab02d508b 100644
--- a/internal/sync/tar.go
+++ b/internal/sync/tar.go
@@ -73,10 +73,12 @@ func (t *Tar) Sync(ctx context.Context, service string, paths []*PathMapping) er
 	var pathsToCopy []PathMapping
 	var pathsToDelete []string
 	for _, p := range paths {
-		if _, err := os.Stat(p.HostPath); err != nil && errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(p.HostPath); err == nil {
+			pathsToCopy = append(pathsToCopy, *p)
+		} else if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
 			pathsToDelete = append(pathsToDelete, p.ContainerPath)
 		} else {
-			pathsToCopy = append(pathsToCopy, *p)
+			return fmt.Errorf("stat %q: %w", p.HostPath, err)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/sync/tar_test.go b/internal/sync/tar_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0c575228337
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/sync/tar_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+/*
+   Copyright 2023 Docker Compose CLI authors
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package sync
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/moby/moby/api/types/container"
+	"gotest.tools/v3/assert"
+	"gotest.tools/v3/assert/cmp"
+)
+
+// fakeLowLevelClient records calls made to it for test assertions.
+type fakeLowLevelClient struct {
+	containers []container.Summary
+	execCmds   [][]string
+	untarCount int
+}
+
+func (f *fakeLowLevelClient) ContainersForService(_ context.Context, _ string, _ string) ([]container.Summary, error) {
+	return f.containers, nil
+}
+
+func (f *fakeLowLevelClient) Exec(_ context.Context, _ string, cmd []string, _ io.Reader) error {
+	f.execCmds = append(f.execCmds, cmd)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (f *fakeLowLevelClient) Untar(_ context.Context, _ string, _ io.ReadCloser) error {
+	f.untarCount++
+	return nil
+}
+
+func TestSync_ExistingPath(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	existingFile := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "exists.txt")
+	assert.NilError(t, os.WriteFile(existingFile, []byte("data"), 0o644))
+
+	client := &fakeLowLevelClient{
+		containers: []container.Summary{{ID: "ctr1"}},
+	}
+	tar := NewTar("proj", client)
+
+	err := tar.Sync(t.Context(), "svc", []*PathMapping{
+		{HostPath: existingFile, ContainerPath: "/app/exists.txt"},
+	})
+
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, client.untarCount, 1, "existing path should be copied via Untar")
+	assert.Equal(t, len(client.execCmds), 0, "no delete command expected for existing path")
+}
+
+func TestSync_NonExistentPath(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &fakeLowLevelClient{
+		containers: []container.Summary{{ID: "ctr1"}},
+	}
+	tar := NewTar("proj", client)
+
+	err := tar.Sync(t.Context(), "svc", []*PathMapping{
+		{HostPath: "/no/such/file", ContainerPath: "/app/gone.txt"},
+	})
+
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, len(client.execCmds), 1, "should issue a delete command")
+	assert.DeepEqual(t, client.execCmds[0], []string{"rm", "-rf", "/app/gone.txt"})
+}
+
+func TestSync_StatPermissionError(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skip("permission-based test not reliable on Windows")
+	}
+	if os.Getuid() == 0 {
+		t.Skip("test requires non-root to trigger EACCES")
+	}
+
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	restrictedDir := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "noaccess")
+	assert.NilError(t, os.Mkdir(restrictedDir, 0o700))
+	targetFile := filepath.Join(restrictedDir, "secret.txt")
+	assert.NilError(t, os.WriteFile(targetFile, []byte("data"), 0o644))
+	// Remove all permissions on the parent directory so stat on the child fails with EACCES.
+	assert.NilError(t, os.Chmod(restrictedDir, 0o000))
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		// Restore permissions so t.TempDir() cleanup can remove it.
+		_ = os.Chmod(restrictedDir, 0o700)
+	})
+
+	client := &fakeLowLevelClient{
+		containers: []container.Summary{{ID: "ctr1"}},
+	}
+	tar := NewTar("proj", client)
+
+	err := tar.Sync(t.Context(), "svc", []*PathMapping{
+		{HostPath: targetFile, ContainerPath: "/app/secret.txt"},
+	})
+
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "permission denied")
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "secret.txt")
+	assert.Equal(t, client.untarCount, 0, "should not attempt copy on stat error")
+	assert.Equal(t, len(client.execCmds), 0, "should not attempt delete on stat error")
+}
+
+func TestSync_MixedPaths(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	existingFile := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "keep.txt")
+	assert.NilError(t, os.WriteFile(existingFile, []byte("data"), 0o644))
+
+	client := &fakeLowLevelClient{
+		containers: []container.Summary{{ID: "ctr1"}},
+	}
+	tar := NewTar("proj", client)
+
+	err := tar.Sync(t.Context(), "svc", []*PathMapping{
+		{HostPath: existingFile, ContainerPath: "/app/keep.txt"},
+		{HostPath: "/no/such/path", ContainerPath: "/app/removed.txt"},
+	})
+
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, client.untarCount, 1, "existing path should be copied")
+	assert.Equal(t, len(client.execCmds), 1)
+	assert.Check(t, cmp.Contains(client.execCmds[0][len(client.execCmds[0])-1], "removed.txt"))
+}