diff --git a/bin/cp/utils.c b/bin/cp/utils.c
index ad9695c..96ca12d 100644
--- a/bin/cp/utils.c
+++ b/bin/cp/utils.c
@@ -117,27 +117,29 @@ copy_file(const FTSENT *entp, int dne)
 				return (1);
 			}
 		}
-		
-		if (fflag) {
-		    /* remove existing destination file name, 
-		     * create a new file  */
-		    (void)unlink(to.p_path);
-				if (!lflag)
-		    	to_fd = open(to.p_path, O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC | O_CREAT,
-				  fs->st_mode & ~(S_ISUID | S_ISGID));
-		} else {
-				if (!lflag)
-		    	/* overwrite existing destination file name */
-		    	to_fd = open(to.p_path, O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC, 0);
-		}
-	} else {
+
 		if (!lflag)
-			to_fd = open(to.p_path, O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC | O_CREAT,
-		  fs->st_mode & ~(S_ISUID | S_ISGID));
+			to_fd = open(to.p_path, O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC);
+
+		if ((to_fd == -1 || lflag) && fflag) {
+			/* Unlink when open() fails, as per POSIX. */
+			if (unlink(to.p_path)) {
+				warn("unlinking %s", to.p_path);
+				close(from_fd);
+				return (1);
+			}
+			/* Try again with O_CREAT set. */
+			dne = 1;
+		}
 	}
-	
+
+	if (dne && !lflag) {
+		to_fd = open(to.p_path, O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC | O_CREAT,
+		    fs->st_mode & ~(S_ISUID | S_ISGID));
+	}
+
 	if (to_fd == -1) {
-		warn("%s", to.p_path);
+		warn("opening %s", to.p_path);
 		(void)close(from_fd);
 		return (1);
 	}