diff --git a/changelog/8940.bugfix.rst b/changelog/8940.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..141a0be04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/8940.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixed an issue where dirs without S_IXUSR prevented pytest from cleaning up the temp dir
diff --git a/src/_pytest/pathlib.py b/src/_pytest/pathlib.py
index 0bc5bff2b..047600c7d 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/pathlib.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/pathlib.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import itertools
 import os
 import shutil
 import sys
-import uuid
+import tempfile
 import warnings
 from enum import Enum
 from functools import partial
@@ -254,11 +254,10 @@ def maybe_delete_a_numbered_dir(path: Path) -> None:
     lock_path = None
     try:
         lock_path = create_cleanup_lock(path)
-        parent = path.parent
-
-        garbage = parent.joinpath(f"garbage-{uuid.uuid4()}")
-        path.rename(garbage)
-        rm_rf(garbage)
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(
+            prefix="garbage-", dir=path.parent
+        ) as garbage:
+            path.replace(garbage)
     except OSError:
         #  known races:
         #  * other process did a cleanup at the same time
diff --git a/testing/test_pathlib.py b/testing/test_pathlib.py
index e37b33847..4be73f2d6 100644
--- a/testing/test_pathlib.py
+++ b/testing/test_pathlib.py
@@ -351,6 +351,26 @@ def test_long_path_during_cleanup(tmp_path):
     assert not os.path.isdir(extended_path)
 
 
+def test_permission_denied_during_cleanup(tmp_path):
+    """
+    Ensure that deleting a numbered dir does not fail because of missing file
+    permission bits (#7940).
+    """
+    path = tmp_path / "temp-1"
+    p = path / "ham" / "spam" / "eggs"
+    p.parent.mkdir(parents=True)
+    p.touch(mode=0)
+    for p in p.parents:
+        if p == path:
+            break
+        p.chmod(mode=0)
+
+    lock_path = get_lock_path(path)
+    maybe_delete_a_numbered_dir(path)
+    assert not path.exists()
+    assert not lock_path.is_file()
+
+
 def test_get_extended_length_path_str():
     assert get_extended_length_path_str(r"c:\foo") == r"\\?\c:\foo"
     assert get_extended_length_path_str(r"\\share\foo") == r"\\?\UNC\share\foo"