diff --git a/src/uu/rm/Cargo.toml b/src/uu/rm/Cargo.toml
index a7d959977..b8d0955f5 100644
--- a/src/uu/rm/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src/uu/rm/Cargo.toml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ path = "src/rm.rs"
 [dependencies]
 thiserror = { workspace = true }
 clap = { workspace = true }
-uucore = { workspace = true, features = ["fs", "parser"] }
+uucore = { workspace = true, features = ["fs", "parser", "safe-traversal"] }
 fluent = { workspace = true }
 
 [target.'cfg(unix)'.dependencies]
diff --git a/src/uu/rm/src/rm.rs b/src/uu/rm/src/rm.rs
index ac5a818a6..763590f79 100644
--- a/src/uu/rm/src/rm.rs
+++ b/src/uu/rm/src/rm.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 (path) eacces inacc rm-r4
+// spell-checker:ignore (path) eacces inacc rm-r4 unlinkat fstatat
 
 use clap::builder::{PossibleValue, ValueParser};
 use clap::{Arg, ArgAction, Command, parser::ValueSource};
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ use thiserror::Error;
 use uucore::display::Quotable;
 use uucore::error::{FromIo, UError, UResult};
 use uucore::parser::shortcut_value_parser::ShortcutValueParser;
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+use uucore::safe_traversal::DirFd;
 use uucore::translate;
 
 use uucore::{format_usage, os_str_as_bytes, prompt_yes, show_error};
@@ -428,6 +430,140 @@ fn is_writable(_path: &Path) -> bool {
     true
 }
 
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn safe_remove_dir_recursive(path: &Path, options: &Options) -> bool {
+    // Try to open the directory using DirFd for secure traversal
+    let dir_fd = match DirFd::open(path) {
+        Ok(fd) => fd,
+        Err(e) => {
+            show_error!(
+                "{}",
+                e.map_err_context(|| translate!("rm-error-cannot-remove", "file" => path.quote()))
+            );
+            return true;
+        }
+    };
+
+    let error = safe_remove_dir_recursive_impl(path, &dir_fd, options);
+
+    // After processing all children, remove the directory itself
+    if error {
+        error
+    } else {
+        // Ask user permission if needed
+        if options.interactive == InteractiveMode::Always && !prompt_dir(path, options) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // Use regular fs::remove_dir for the root since we can't unlinkat ourselves
+        match fs::remove_dir(path) {
+            Ok(_) => false,
+            Err(e) => {
+                let e = e.map_err_context(
+                    || translate!("rm-error-cannot-remove", "file" => path.quote()),
+                );
+                show_error!("{e}");
+                true
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn safe_remove_dir_recursive_impl(path: &Path, dir_fd: &DirFd, options: &Options) -> bool {
+    // Check if we should descend into this directory
+    if options.interactive == InteractiveMode::Always
+        && !is_dir_empty(path)
+        && !prompt_descend(path)
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    // Read directory entries using safe traversal
+    let entries = match dir_fd.read_dir() {
+        Ok(entries) => entries,
+        Err(e) if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::PermissionDenied => {
+            // This is not considered an error - just like the original
+            return false;
+        }
+        Err(e) => {
+            show_error!(
+                "{}",
+                e.map_err_context(|| translate!("rm-error-cannot-remove", "file" => path.quote()))
+            );
+            return true;
+        }
+    };
+
+    let mut error = false;
+
+    // Process each entry
+    for entry_name in entries {
+        let entry_path = path.join(&entry_name);
+
+        // Get metadata for the entry using fstatat
+        let entry_stat = match dir_fd.stat_at(&entry_name, false) {
+            Ok(stat) => stat,
+            Err(e) => {
+                let e = e.map_err_context(
+                    || translate!("rm-error-cannot-remove", "file" => entry_path.quote()),
+                );
+                show_error!("{e}");
+                error = true;
+                continue;
+            }
+        };
+
+        // Check if it's a directory
+        let is_dir = (entry_stat.st_mode & libc::S_IFMT) == libc::S_IFDIR;
+
+        if is_dir {
+            // Recursively remove directory
+            let subdir_fd = match dir_fd.open_subdir(&entry_name) {
+                Ok(fd) => fd,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    let e = e.map_err_context(
+                        || translate!("rm-error-cannot-remove", "file" => entry_path.quote()),
+                    );
+                    show_error!("{e}");
+                    error = true;
+                    continue;
+                }
+            };
+
+            let child_error = safe_remove_dir_recursive_impl(&entry_path, &subdir_fd, options);
+            error = error || child_error;
+
+            // Try to remove the directory (even if there were some child errors)
+            // Ask user permission if needed
+            if options.interactive == InteractiveMode::Always && !prompt_dir(&entry_path, options) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if let Err(e) = dir_fd.unlink_at(&entry_name, true) {
+                let e = e.map_err_context(
+                    || translate!("rm-error-cannot-remove", "file" => entry_path.quote()),
+                );
+                show_error!("{e}");
+                error = true;
+            }
+        } else {
+            // Remove file - check if user wants to remove it first
+            if prompt_file(&entry_path, options) {
+                if let Err(e) = dir_fd.unlink_at(&entry_name, false) {
+                    let e = e.map_err_context(
+                        || translate!("rm-error-cannot-remove", "file" => entry_path.quote()),
+                    );
+                    show_error!("{e}");
+                    error = true;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    error
+}
+
 /// Recursively remove the directory tree rooted at the given path.
 ///
 /// If `path` is a file or a symbolic link, just remove it. If it is a
@@ -454,25 +590,30 @@ fn remove_dir_recursive(path: &Path, options: &Options) -> bool {
         return false;
     }
 
-    // Special case: if we cannot access the metadata because the
-    // filename is too long, fall back to try
-    // `fs::remove_dir_all()`.
-    //
-    // TODO This is a temporary bandage; we shouldn't need to do this
-    // at all. Instead of using the full path like "x/y/z", which
-    // causes a `InvalidFilename` error when trying to access the file
-    // metadata, we should be able to use just the last part of the
-    // path, "z", and know that it is relative to the parent, "x/y".
-    if let Some(s) = path.to_str() {
-        if s.len() > 1000 {
-            match fs::remove_dir_all(path) {
-                Ok(_) => return false,
-                Err(e) => {
-                    let e = e.map_err_context(
-                        || translate!("rm-error-cannot-remove", "file" => path.quote()),
-                    );
-                    show_error!("{e}");
-                    return true;
+    // Use secure traversal on Linux for long paths
+    #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+    {
+        if let Some(s) = path.to_str() {
+            if s.len() > 1000 {
+                return safe_remove_dir_recursive(path, options);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Fallback for non-Linux or shorter paths
+    #[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+    {
+        if let Some(s) = path.to_str() {
+            if s.len() > 1000 {
+                match fs::remove_dir_all(path) {
+                    Ok(_) => return false,
+                    Err(e) => {
+                        let e = e.map_err_context(
+                            || translate!("rm-error-cannot-remove", "file" => path.quote()),
+                        );
+                        show_error!("{e}");
+                        return true;
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/uucore/src/lib/features/safe_traversal.rs b/src/uucore/src/lib/features/safe_traversal.rs
index 177689b8c..f4817ce41 100644
--- a/src/uucore/src/lib/features/safe_traversal.rs
+++ b/src/uucore/src/lib/features/safe_traversal.rs
@@ -255,8 +255,35 @@ impl DirFd {
         })
     }
 
-    pub fn as_raw_fd(&self) -> RawFd {
-        self.fd
+    /// Remove a file or empty directory relative to this directory
+    pub fn unlink_at(&self, name: &OsStr, is_dir: bool) -> io::Result<()> {
+        let name_str = name.to_string_lossy();
+        let name_cstr =
+            CString::new(name.as_bytes()).map_err(|_| SafeTraversalError::PathContainsNull)?;
+        let flags = if is_dir { libc::AT_REMOVEDIR } else { 0 };
+
+        let ret = unsafe { libc::unlinkat(self.fd, name_cstr.as_ptr(), flags) };
+
+        if ret < 0 {
+            Err(SafeTraversalError::UnlinkFailed {
+                path: name_str.to_string(),
+                source: io::Error::last_os_error(),
+            }
+            .into())
+        } else {
+            Ok(())
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Create a DirFd from an existing file descriptor (does not take ownership)
+    pub fn from_raw_fd(fd: RawFd) -> io::Result<Self> {
+        if fd < 0 {
+            return Err(io::Error::new(
+                io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
+                "invalid file descriptor",
+            ));
+        }
+        Ok(DirFd { fd, owned: false })
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_rm.rs b/tests/by-util/test_rm.rs
index 69ef09691..db31ab876 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_rm.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_rm.rs
@@ -1054,3 +1054,27 @@ fn test_non_utf8_paths() {
 
     assert!(!at.dir_exists(non_utf8_dir_name));
 }
+
+#[test]
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn test_rm_recursive_long_path_safe_traversal() {
+    let ts = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    let at = &ts.fixtures;
+
+    let mut deep_path = String::from("rm_deep");
+    at.mkdir(&deep_path);
+
+    for i in 0..12 {
+        let long_dir_name = format!("{}{}", "z".repeat(80), i);
+        deep_path = format!("{deep_path}/{long_dir_name}");
+        at.mkdir_all(&deep_path);
+    }
+
+    at.write("rm_deep/test1.txt", "content1");
+    at.write(&format!("{deep_path}/test2.txt"), "content2");
+
+    ts.ucmd().arg("-rf").arg("rm_deep").succeeds();
+
+    // Verify the directory is completely removed
+    assert!(!at.dir_exists("rm_deep"));
+}