diff --git a/redox-rt/src/sys.rs b/redox-rt/src/sys.rs
index c05d7c1671..f54fba8f86 100644
--- a/redox-rt/src/sys.rs
+++ b/redox-rt/src/sys.rs
@@ -592,13 +592,32 @@ pub fn open<T: AsRef<str>>(path: T, flags: usize) -> Result<usize> {
     let fcntl_flags = flags & syscall::O_FCNTL_MASK;
     let redox_path = RedoxPath::from_absolute(path.as_ref()).ok_or(Error::new(EINVAL))?;
     let (_, reference) = redox_path.as_parts().ok_or(Error::new(EINVAL))?;
-    let root_fd = FdGuard::new(openat_into_upper(
-        crate::current_namespace_fd()?,
+
+    let ns_fd = crate::current_namespace_fd()?;
+
+    // Open the scheme root using raw SYS_OPENAT (auto-assigned POSIX fd).
+    // This bypasses FILETABLE.insert_upper, which could collide with the
+    // namespace fd (ns_fd) that is not always tracked in the UPPER table.
+    let root_fd = syscall::openat(
+        ns_fd,
         path.as_ref(),
         syscall::O_DIRECTORY | O_CLOEXEC,
         0,
-    )?);
-    openat_into_posix(root_fd.as_raw_fd(), reference.as_ref(), flags, fcntl_flags)
+    )?;
+    register_external_fd(root_fd)?;
+
+    let posix_fd = syscall::openat(
+        root_fd,
+        reference.as_ref(),
+        flags,
+        fcntl_flags,
+    )?;
+
+    // Close root_fd and remove from FILETABLE, then register posix_fd.
+    close(root_fd)?;
+    register_external_fd(posix_fd)?;
+
+    Ok(posix_fd)
 }
 pub fn openat<T: AsRef<str>>(
     fd: usize,