diff --git a/src/api.c b/src/api.c
index 837d020a..77dc2905 100644
--- a/src/api.c
+++ b/src/api.c
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ API int seccomp_rule_add_array(scmp_filter_ctx ctx,
 	if (rc < 0)
 		return rc;
 	if (action == col->attr.act_default)
-		return -EPERM;
+		return -EACCES;
 
 	return db_col_rule_add(col, 0, action, syscall, arg_cnt, arg_array);
 }
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ API int seccomp_rule_add_exact_array(scmp_filter_ctx ctx,
 	if (rc < 0)
 		return rc;
 	if (action == col->attr.act_default)
-		return -EPERM;
+		return -EACCES;
 
 	if (col->filter_cnt > 1)
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
diff --git a/tests/11-basic-basic_errors.c b/tests/11-basic-basic_errors.c
index ddd9e38a..a41b7b58 100644
--- a/tests/11-basic-basic_errors.c
+++ b/tests/11-basic-basic_errors.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		return -1;
 	else {
 		rc = seccomp_rule_add(ctx, SCMP_ACT_ALLOW, SCMP_SYS(read), 0);
-		if (rc != -EPERM)
+		if (rc != -EACCES)
 			return -1;
 		rc = seccomp_rule_add(ctx, SCMP_ACT_KILL - 1, SCMP_SYS(read), 0);
 		if (rc != -EINVAL)