diff --git a/src/syscall/fs.rs b/src/syscall/fs.rs
index f3677d0875..98b152eaa6 100644
--- a/src/syscall/fs.rs
+++ b/src/syscall/fs.rs
@@ -311,41 +311,43 @@ pub fn dup2(
     buf: UserSliceRo,
     token: &mut CleanLockToken,
 ) -> Result<FileHandle> {
-    // A self-dup2 (fd == new_fd) with an EMPTY buffer is a no-op. But a
-    // self-dup2 WITH a buffer is meaningful — e.g. relibc issues dup2(ft, ft,
-    // "refresh") to re-materialize the inherited filetable — so it must fall
-    // through to duplicate_file() rather than short-circuiting.
-    if fd == new_fd && buf.is_empty() {
-        return Ok(new_fd);
-    }
+    if fd == new_fd {
+        // Self-dup: a no-op if no buffer is supplied. But a self-dup2 WITH a
+        // buffer is a meaningful in-place operation — e.g. relibc issues
+        // dup2(ft, ft, "refresh") to re-materialize the inherited filetable, so
+        // it must NOT short-circuit. Duplicate first (fd is still valid), then
+        // replace the descriptor in place. Only this self-dup path is new; the
+        // normal path below is unchanged so ordinary dup2 (process-spawn stdio)
+        // keeps its exact original behavior.
+        if buf.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(new_fd);
+        }
+        let new_file = duplicate_file(fd, buf, false, token)?;
+        let old_file = {
+            let current_lock = context::current();
+            let mut current = current_lock.read(token.token());
+            let (context, mut token) = current.token_split();
+            let old_file = context.remove_file(new_fd, &mut token);
+            context
+                .insert_file(new_fd, new_file, &mut token)
+                .ok_or(Error::new(EMFILE))?;
+            old_file
+        };
+        if let Some(old) = old_file {
+            let _ = old.close(token);
+        }
+        Ok(new_fd)
+    } else {
+        let _ = close(new_fd, token);
+        let new_file = duplicate_file(fd, buf, false, token)?;
 
-    // Duplicate FIRST (fd may equal new_fd), then replace new_fd's descriptor.
-    let new_file = duplicate_file(fd, buf, false, token)?;
-
-    let old_file = {
         let current_lock = context::current();
         let mut current = current_lock.read(token.token());
-        let (context, mut split_token) = current.token_split();
-
-        let old_file = context.remove_file(new_fd, &mut split_token);
-
-        if context
-            .insert_file(new_fd, new_file, &mut split_token)
-            .is_none()
-        {
-            if let Some(old) = old_file {
-                context.insert_file(new_fd, old, &mut split_token);
-            }
-            return Err(Error::new(EMFILE));
-        }
-        old_file
-    };
-
-    if let Some(old) = old_file {
-        let _ = old.close(token);
+        let (context, mut token) = current.token_split();
+        context
+            .insert_file(new_fd, new_file, &mut token)
+            .ok_or(Error::new(EMFILE))
     }
-
-    Ok(new_fd)
 }
 pub fn call(
     fd: FileHandle,