diff --git a/programs/fileio.c b/programs/fileio.c
index 69505379d..df7babb01 100644
--- a/programs/fileio.c
+++ b/programs/fileio.c
@@ -350,6 +350,7 @@ const char* FIO_rust_determineDstName(const char* srcFileName, const char* outDi
 int FIO_rust_adjustMemLimitForPatchFromMode(FIO_prefs_t* prefs,
                                              unsigned long long dictSize,
                                              unsigned long long maxSrcFileSize);
+int FIO_rust_getDictFileStat(const char* fileName, stat_t* statBuf);
 int FIO_rust_setDictBufferMalloc(const char* fileName,
                                  unsigned long long expectedFileSize,
                                  size_t maxSize,
@@ -543,16 +544,26 @@ FIO_openDstFile(FIO_ctx_t* fCtx, FIO_prefs_t* const prefs,
 /* FIO_getDictFileStat() :
  */
 static void FIO_getDictFileStat(const char* fileName, stat_t* dictFileStat) {
+    enum {
+        FIO_DICT_STAT_SUCCESS = 0,
+        FIO_DICT_STAT_FAILED = 1,
+        FIO_DICT_STAT_NON_REGULAR = 2,
+    };
+    int status;
+
     assert(dictFileStat != NULL);
     if (fileName == NULL) return;
 
-    if (!UTIL_stat(fileName, dictFileStat)) {
+    status = FIO_rust_getDictFileStat(fileName, dictFileStat);
+    if (status == FIO_DICT_STAT_FAILED) {
         EXM_THROW(31, "Stat failed on dictionary file %s: %s", fileName, strerror(errno));
     }
 
-    if (!UTIL_isRegularFileStat(dictFileStat)) {
+    if (status == FIO_DICT_STAT_NON_REGULAR) {
         EXM_THROW(32, "Dictionary %s must be a regular file.", fileName);
     }
+
+    assert(status == FIO_DICT_STAT_SUCCESS);
 }
 
 /*  FIO_setDictBufferMalloc() :
diff --git a/rust/src/fileio_backend.rs b/rust/src/fileio_backend.rs
index b28e06a38..ada4ae1f6 100644
--- a/rust/src/fileio_backend.rs
+++ b/rust/src/fileio_backend.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,15 @@ const FIO_DICT_LOAD_TOO_LARGE: c_int = 2;
 const FIO_DICT_LOAD_ALLOCATION_FAILED: c_int = 3;
 const FIO_DICT_LOAD_READ_FAILED: c_int = 4;
 
+const FIO_DICT_STAT_SUCCESS: c_int = 0;
+const FIO_DICT_STAT_FAILED: c_int = 1;
+const FIO_DICT_STAT_NON_REGULAR: c_int = 2;
+
+unsafe extern "C" {
+    fn UTIL_stat(file_name: *const c_char, stat_buf: *mut libc::stat) -> c_int;
+    fn UTIL_isRegularFileStat(stat_buf: *const libc::stat) -> c_int;
+}
+
 fn path_from_c(path: *const c_char) -> Option<PathBuf> {
     if path.is_null() {
         return None;
@@ -42,6 +51,29 @@ fn path_from_c(path: *const c_char) -> Option<PathBuf> {
     }
 }
 
+/// Stats a dictionary path into the C-owned `stat_t` buffer.
+///
+/// The C wrapper keeps the policy and diagnostics. This leaf only reports
+/// whether the existing stat ABI failed, found a non-regular path, or
+/// succeeded, so `stat_t` layout, errno, and symlink handling stay centralized
+/// in `UTIL_stat` and `UTIL_isRegularFileStat`.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn FIO_rust_getDictFileStat(
+    file_name: *const c_char,
+    stat_buf: *mut libc::stat,
+) -> c_int {
+    if file_name.is_null() || stat_buf.is_null() {
+        return FIO_DICT_STAT_FAILED;
+    }
+    if unsafe { UTIL_stat(file_name, stat_buf) } == 0 {
+        return FIO_DICT_STAT_FAILED;
+    }
+    if unsafe { UTIL_isRegularFileStat(stat_buf) } == 0 {
+        return FIO_DICT_STAT_NON_REGULAR;
+    }
+    FIO_DICT_STAT_SUCCESS
+}
+
 /// Removes a regular file and returns a status consumed by the C adapter.
 ///
 /// The metadata query follows symlinks, matching the existing `stat()`-based
@@ -139,6 +171,7 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use std::ffi::CString;
     use std::fs;
+    use std::mem::MaybeUninit;
     use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
     use std::time::{SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
 
@@ -160,6 +193,13 @@ mod tests {
         CString::new(path.to_string_lossy().as_bytes()).expect("temporary path contains NUL")
     }
 
+    fn get_dict_file_stat(path: Option<&Path>) -> c_int {
+        let path = path.map(c_path);
+        let file_name = path.as_ref().map_or(ptr::null(), |path| path.as_ptr());
+        let mut stat_buf = MaybeUninit::<libc::stat>::uninit();
+        unsafe { FIO_rust_getDictFileStat(file_name, stat_buf.as_mut_ptr()) }
+    }
+
     fn load_dict(path: &Path, expected_size: u64, max_size: usize) -> (c_int, *mut c_void, usize) {
         let path = c_path(path);
         let mut buffer = ptr::null_mut();
@@ -275,6 +315,54 @@ mod tests {
         fs::remove_file(&path).expect("remove temporary file");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn accepts_regular_dictionary_file() {
+        let path = temp_path("regular-dictionary-stat");
+        fs::write(&path, b"dictionary").expect("create temporary file");
+
+        assert_eq!(get_dict_file_stat(Some(&path)), FIO_DICT_STAT_SUCCESS);
+
+        fs::remove_file(&path).expect("remove temporary file");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn reports_missing_dictionary_path() {
+        let path = temp_path("missing-dictionary-stat");
+
+        assert_eq!(get_dict_file_stat(Some(&path)), FIO_DICT_STAT_FAILED);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn reports_directory_as_non_regular() {
+        let path = temp_path("directory-dictionary-stat");
+        fs::create_dir(&path).expect("create temporary directory");
+
+        assert_eq!(get_dict_file_stat(Some(&path)), FIO_DICT_STAT_NON_REGULAR);
+
+        fs::remove_dir(&path).expect("remove temporary directory");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn reports_null_filename_as_stat_failure() {
+        assert_eq!(get_dict_file_stat(None), FIO_DICT_STAT_FAILED);
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    #[test]
+    fn follows_symlink_to_regular_dictionary_file() {
+        use std::os::unix::fs::symlink;
+
+        let target = temp_path("symlink-target");
+        let link = temp_path("symlink-dictionary");
+        fs::write(&target, b"dictionary").expect("create temporary file");
+        symlink(&target, &link).expect("create symbolic link");
+
+        assert_eq!(get_dict_file_stat(Some(&link)), FIO_DICT_STAT_SUCCESS);
+
+        fs::remove_file(&link).expect("remove symbolic link");
+        fs::remove_file(&target).expect("remove temporary file");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn removes_regular_file() {
         let path = temp_path("regular");