diff --git a/doc/whats-new.rst b/doc/whats-new.rst
index 6bfdf0b6f0a..c4c9097ab0a 100644
--- a/doc/whats-new.rst
+++ b/doc/whats-new.rst
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ Bug fixes
 
 - Fix :py:meth:`xr.polyval` with non-system standard integer coeffs (:pull:`7619`).
   By `Shreyal Gupta <https://github.com/Ravenin7>`_ and `Michael Niklas <https://github.com/headtr1ck>`_.
+- Improve error message when trying to open a file which you do not have permission to read (:issue:`6523`, :pull:`7629`).
+  By `Thomas Coleman <https://github.com/ColemanTom>`_.
 
 Documentation
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/xarray/backends/plugins.py b/xarray/backends/plugins.py
index bae1dcd2225..d6ad6dfbe18 100644
--- a/xarray/backends/plugins.py
+++ b/xarray/backends/plugins.py
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ def guess_engine(
         try:
             if backend.guess_can_open(store_spec):
                 return engine
+        except PermissionError:
+            raise
         except Exception:
             warnings.warn(f"{engine!r} fails while guessing", RuntimeWarning)