diff --git a/src/uu/sync/src/sync.rs b/src/uu/sync/src/sync.rs
index b91f216aaed..e426ee68df9 100644
--- a/src/uu/sync/src/sync.rs
+++ b/src/uu/sync/src/sync.rs
@@ -260,8 +260,12 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
 
     #[allow(clippy::if_same_then_else)]
     if matches.get_flag(options::FILE_SYSTEM) {
-        #[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android", target_os = "windows"))]
-        syncfs(files)?;
+        if files.is_empty() {
+            sync()?;
+        } else {
+            #[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android", target_os = "windows"))]
+            syncfs(files)?;
+        }
     } else if matches.get_flag(options::DATA) {
         #[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android"))]
         fdatasync(files)?;
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_sync.rs b/tests/by-util/test_sync.rs
index 8c09d86372a..fdb93b72fd4 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_sync.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_sync.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ fn test_sync_fs() {
         .succeeds();
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_sync_fs_without_files_falls_back_to_full_sync() {
+    new_ucmd!().arg("--file-system").succeeds();
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_sync_data() {
     // Todo add a second arg