diff --git a/src/uu/shuf/src/shuf.rs b/src/uu/shuf/src/shuf.rs
index ca2451698f2..b523001ce51 100644
--- a/src/uu/shuf/src/shuf.rs
+++ b/src/uu/shuf/src/shuf.rs
@@ -123,24 +123,21 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
         },
     };
 
-    let mut output = BufWriter::with_capacity(
-        BUF_SIZE,
-        match options.output {
-            None => Box::new(stdout()) as Box<dyn OsWrite>,
-            Some(ref s) => {
-                let file = File::create(s).map_err_context(
-                    || translate!("shuf-error-failed-to-open-for-writing", "file" => s.quote()),
-                )?;
-                Box::new(file) as Box<dyn OsWrite>
-            }
-        },
-    );
-
     if options.head_count == 0 {
-        // In this case we do want to touch the output file but we can quit immediately.
+        // GNU still truncates the -o file in this case, but quits immediately
+        // without reading the input or the random source.
+        if let Some(ref s) = options.output {
+            File::create(s).map_err_context(
+                || translate!("shuf-error-failed-to-open-for-writing", "file" => s.quote()),
+            )?;
+        }
         return Ok(());
     }
 
+    // Open the random source and read the input *before* creating the output
+    // file. Truncating the -o file only once the data is in hand means a failure
+    // here (missing input, unreadable random source) leaves an existing output
+    // file untouched, matching GNU and avoiding silent data loss.
     let mut rng = match options.random_source {
         RandomSource::None => WrappedRng::Default(rand::rng()),
         RandomSource::Seed(ref seed) => WrappedRng::Seed(SeededRng::new(seed)),
@@ -153,6 +150,13 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
         }
     };
 
+    let fdata = match mode {
+        Mode::Default(ref filename) => Some(read_input_file(filename)?),
+        _ => None,
+    };
+
+    let mut output = open_output(options.output.as_deref())?;
+
     match mode {
         Mode::Echo(args) => {
             let mut evec: Vec<&OsStr> = args.iter().map(AsRef::as_ref).collect();
@@ -161,8 +165,8 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
         Mode::InputRange(mut range) => {
             shuf_exec(&mut range, &options, &mut rng, &mut output)?;
         }
-        Mode::Default(filename) => {
-            let fdata = read_input_file(&filename)?;
+        Mode::Default(_) => {
+            let fdata = fdata.unwrap_or_default();
             let mut items = split_seps(&fdata, options.sep);
             shuf_exec(&mut items, &options, &mut rng, &mut output)?;
         }
@@ -255,6 +259,19 @@ pub fn uu_app() -> Command {
         )
 }
 
+fn open_output(output: Option<&Path>) -> UResult<BufWriter<Box<dyn OsWrite>>> {
+    let writer: Box<dyn OsWrite> = match output {
+        None => Box::new(stdout()),
+        Some(s) => {
+            let file = File::create(s).map_err_context(
+                || translate!("shuf-error-failed-to-open-for-writing", "file" => s.quote()),
+            )?;
+            Box::new(file)
+        }
+    };
+    Ok(BufWriter::with_capacity(BUF_SIZE, writer))
+}
+
 fn read_input_file(filename: &Path) -> UResult<Vec<u8>> {
     if filename.as_os_str() == "-" {
         let mut data = Vec::new();
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_shuf.rs b/tests/by-util/test_shuf.rs
index 2e9ce9c5d94..1246297b596 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_shuf.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_shuf.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 // For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
 // file that was distributed with this source code.
 
-// spell-checker:ignore (ToDO) unwritable
+// spell-checker:ignore (ToDO) unwritable GHSA
 use std::fmt::Write;
 
 use uutests::at_and_ucmd;
@@ -525,6 +525,29 @@ fn test_zero_head_count_file_touch_output_positive_existing() {
     );
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_output_not_truncated_when_input_missing() {
+    // A failure to read the input must leave an existing -o file untouched
+    // instead of truncating it first (data-loss regression, GHSA-5g6r-45q4-3p5r).
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+    at.write("out", "keep me\n");
+    ucmd.args(&["-o", "out", "does-not-exist"])
+        .fails_with_code(1)
+        .stderr_contains("does-not-exist");
+    assert_eq!(at.read("out"), "keep me\n");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_output_not_truncated_when_random_source_missing() {
+    // Same guarantee when the random source can't be opened.
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+    at.write("out", "keep me\n");
+    at.write("in", "a\nb\nc\n");
+    ucmd.args(&["-o", "out", "--random-source=does-not-exist", "in"])
+        .fails_with_code(1);
+    assert_eq!(at.read("out"), "keep me\n");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_zero_head_count_echo() {
     new_ucmd!()