diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 3de0ea0ccb3..679bc75d07c 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ version = "1.1.5"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "40c48f72fd53cd289104fc64099abca73db4166ad86ea0b4341abe65af83dadc"
 dependencies = [
- "windows-sys 0.60.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ checksum = "291e6a250ff86cd4a820112fb8898808a366d8f9f58ce16d1f538353ad55747d"
 dependencies = [
  "anstyle",
  "once_cell_polyfill",
- "windows-sys 0.60.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -118,6 +118,12 @@ version = "0.7.6"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "7c02d123df017efcdfbd739ef81735b36c5ba83ec3c59c80a9d7ecc718f92e50"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "assert_matches"
+version = "1.5.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "9b34d609dfbaf33d6889b2b7106d3ca345eacad44200913df5ba02bfd31d2ba9"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "autocfg"
 version = "1.5.0"
@@ -1001,7 +1007,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "39cab71617ae0d63f51a36d69f866391735b51691dbda63cf6f96d042b63efeb"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
- "windows-sys 0.59.0",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1730,7 +1736,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "portable-atomic",
  "portable-atomic-util",
  "serde_core",
- "windows-sys 0.59.0",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -2046,7 +2052,7 @@ version = "0.50.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "7957b9740744892f114936ab4a57b3f487491bbeafaf8083688b16841a4240e5"
 dependencies = [
- "windows-sys 0.59.0",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -2645,7 +2651,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "errno",
  "libc",
  "linux-raw-sys",
- "windows-sys 0.59.0",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -2866,7 +2872,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "3a766e1110788c36f4fa1c2b71b387a7815aa65f88ce0229841826633d93723e"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
- "windows-sys 0.60.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -2945,7 +2951,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "getrandom 0.4.2",
  "once_cell",
  "rustix",
- "windows-sys 0.59.0",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -2955,7 +2961,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "230a1b821ccbd75b185820a1f1ff7b14d21da1e442e22c0863ea5f08771a8874"
 dependencies = [
  "rustix",
- "windows-sys 0.59.0",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -3706,6 +3712,7 @@ dependencies = [
 name = "uu_ln"
 version = "0.8.0"
 dependencies = [
+ "assert_matches",
  "clap",
  "fluent",
  "thiserror 2.0.18",
@@ -4747,7 +4754,7 @@ version = "0.1.11"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "c2a7b1c03c876122aa43f3020e6c3c3ee5c05081c9a00739faf7503aeba10d22"
 dependencies = [
- "windows-sys 0.59.0",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index f62ac128787..7c9b7e64641 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@ version = "0.8.0"
 
 [workspace.dependencies]
 ansi-width = "0.1.0"
+assert_matches = "1.5.0"
 bigdecimal = "0.4"
 binary-heap-plus = "0.5.0"
 bstr = "1.9.1"
diff --git a/src/uu/ln/Cargo.toml b/src/uu/ln/Cargo.toml
index b8dd3e03965..6af99e3f44f 100644
--- a/src/uu/ln/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src/uu/ln/Cargo.toml
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ uucore = { workspace = true, features = ["backup-control", "fs"] }
 thiserror = { workspace = true }
 fluent = { workspace = true }
 
+[dev-dependencies]
+assert_matches = { workspace = true }
+
 [[bin]]
 name = "ln"
 path = "src/main.rs"
diff --git a/src/uu/ln/locales/en-US.ftl b/src/uu/ln/locales/en-US.ftl
index 337d5c2a0d9..a28f1212302 100644
--- a/src/uu/ln/locales/en-US.ftl
+++ b/src/uu/ln/locales/en-US.ftl
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ ln-help-verbose = print name of each linked file
 ln-error-target-is-not-directory = target {$target} is not a directory
 ln-error-same-file = {$file1} and {$file2} are the same file
 ln-error-missing-destination = missing destination file operand after {$operand}
+ln-error-missing-operand = missing operand
 ln-error-extra-operand = extra operand {$operand}
   Try '{$program} --help' for more information.
 ln-error-could-not-update = Could not update {$target}: {$error}
diff --git a/src/uu/ln/locales/fr-FR.ftl b/src/uu/ln/locales/fr-FR.ftl
index d8ba0996722..56e72f3e55c 100644
--- a/src/uu/ln/locales/fr-FR.ftl
+++ b/src/uu/ln/locales/fr-FR.ftl
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ ln-help-verbose = afficher le nom de chaque fichier lié
 ln-error-target-is-not-directory = la cible {$target} n'est pas un répertoire
 ln-error-same-file = {$file1} et {$file2} sont le même fichier
 ln-error-missing-destination = opérande de fichier de destination manquant après {$operand}
+ln-error-missing-operand = opérande manquant
 ln-error-extra-operand = opérande supplémentaire {$operand}
   Essayez « {$program} --help » pour plus d'informations.
 ln-error-could-not-update = Impossible de mettre à jour {$target} : {$error}
diff --git a/src/uu/ln/src/ln.rs b/src/uu/ln/src/ln.rs
index 96e708b2b1a..ae44c66b320 100644
--- a/src/uu/ln/src/ln.rs
+++ b/src/uu/ln/src/ln.rs
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ pub enum LnError {
     #[error("{}", translate!("ln-error-missing-destination", "operand" => _0.quote()))]
     MissingDestination(PathBuf),
 
+    #[error("{}", translate!("ln-error-missing-operand"))]
+    MissingOperand,
+
     #[error("{}", translate!("ln-error-extra-operand", "operand" => _0.quote(), "program" => _1.clone()))]
     ExtraOperand(OsString, String),
 
@@ -270,6 +273,10 @@ pub fn uu_app() -> Command {
 ///
 /// This is made public to allow other apps to use `ln` as a library.
 pub fn exec(files: &[PathBuf], settings: &Settings) -> LnResult<()> {
+    if files.is_empty() {
+        return Err(LnError::MissingOperand);
+    }
+
     // Handle cases where we create links in a directory first.
     if let Some(ref target_path) = settings.target_dir {
         // 4th form: a directory is specified by -t.
@@ -298,7 +305,6 @@ pub fn exec(files: &[PathBuf], settings: &Settings) -> LnResult<()> {
             uucore::execution_phrase().to_string(),
         ));
     }
-    assert!(!files.is_empty());
 
     link(&files[0], &files[1], settings)
 }
@@ -530,3 +536,67 @@ fn symlink<P1: AsRef<Path>, P2: AsRef<Path>>(_src: P1, _dst: P2) -> io::Result<(
         "symlinks not supported on this platform",
     ))
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use assert_matches::assert_matches;
+    use std::ffi::OsString;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_exec_missing_operand() {
+        let settings: Settings = Settings {
+            overwrite: OverwriteMode::NoClobber,
+            backup: BackupMode::None,
+            suffix: OsString::from(""),
+            symbolic: false,
+            relative: false,
+            logical: false,
+            target_dir: None,
+            no_target_dir: false,
+            no_dereference: false,
+            verbose: false,
+        };
+
+        let result = exec(&[], &settings);
+        assert_matches!(result, Err(LnError::MissingOperand));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_exec_missing_destination() {
+        let settings = Settings {
+            overwrite: OverwriteMode::NoClobber,
+            backup: BackupMode::None,
+            suffix: OsString::from(""),
+            symbolic: false,
+            relative: false,
+            logical: false,
+            target_dir: None,
+            no_target_dir: true,
+            no_dereference: false,
+            verbose: false,
+        };
+
+        let result = exec(&["a".into()], &settings);
+        assert_matches!(result, Err(LnError::MissingDestination(path)) if *path == *"a");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_exec_extra_operand() {
+        let settings = Settings {
+            overwrite: OverwriteMode::NoClobber,
+            backup: BackupMode::None,
+            suffix: OsString::from(""),
+            symbolic: false,
+            relative: false,
+            logical: false,
+            target_dir: None,
+            no_target_dir: true,
+            no_dereference: false,
+            verbose: false,
+        };
+
+        let result = exec(&["a".into(), "b".into(), "c".into()], &settings);
+        assert_matches!(result, Err(LnError::ExtraOperand(operand, _)) if operand == "c");
+    }
+}