diff --git a/src/_pytest/pathlib.py b/src/_pytest/pathlib.py
index 8eb593d194d..4cafb83a548 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/pathlib.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/pathlib.py
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@
 import contextlib
 from enum import Enum
 from errno import EBADF
+from errno import EEXIST
 from errno import ELOOP
 from errno import ENOENT
 from errno import ENOTDIR
+from errno import ENOTEMPTY
 import fnmatch
 from functools import partial
 from importlib.machinery import ModuleSpec
@@ -119,14 +121,35 @@ def on_rm_rf_error(
     if isinstance(exc, FileNotFoundError):
         return False
 
+    p = Path(path)
+
+    # If os.unlink/os.remove failed on a directory (e.g. because directory traversal failed
+    # or d_type could not determine it is a directory), treat it as a directory.
+    if isinstance(exc, IsADirectoryError) or (
+        func in (os.unlink, os.remove) and p.is_dir()
+    ):
+        _chmod_rwx(str(p))
+        rm_rf(p)
+        return True
+
+    # If removing a directory fails because it is not empty, restrictive permissions
+    # on some of its children may have prevented their prior removal.
+    if func is os.rmdir and getattr(exc, "errno", None) in (ENOTEMPTY, EEXIST):
+        _chmod_rwx(str(p))
+        for root, dirs, files in os.walk(str(p)):
+            for d in dirs:
+                _chmod_rwx(os.path.join(root, d))
+            for f in files:
+                _chmod_rwx(os.path.join(root, f))
+        rm_rf(p)
+        return True
+
     if not isinstance(exc, PermissionError):
         warnings.warn(
             PytestWarning(f"(rm_rf) error removing {path}\n{type(exc)}: {exc}")
         )
         return False
 
-    p = Path(path)
-
     if func in (os.open, os.scandir):
         # Directory traversal failed (e.g. missing S_IXUSR). Fix permissions
         # on the path and its parent (bounded by start_path), then remove it
@@ -206,6 +229,7 @@ def rm_rf(path: Path) -> None:
     """Remove the path contents recursively, even if some elements
     are read-only."""
     path = ensure_extended_length_path(path)
+    _chmod_rwx(str(path))
     onerror = partial(on_rm_rf_error, start_path=path)
     if sys.version_info >= (3, 12):
         shutil.rmtree(str(path), onexc=onerror)
@@ -216,9 +240,8 @@ def rm_rf(path: Path) -> None:
 def find_prefixed(root: Path, prefix: str) -> Iterator[os.DirEntry[str]]:
     """Find all elements in root that begin with the prefix, case-insensitive."""
     l_prefix = prefix.lower()
-    for x in os.scandir(root):
-        if x.name.lower().startswith(l_prefix):
-            yield x
+    with os.scandir(root) as it:
+        yield from [x for x in it if x.name.lower().startswith(l_prefix)]
 
 
 def extract_suffixes(iter: Iterable[os.DirEntry[str]], prefix: str) -> Iterator[str]:
diff --git a/testing/test_tmpdir.py b/testing/test_tmpdir.py
index 0b33a74b926..1a45cad7f35 100644
--- a/testing/test_tmpdir.py
+++ b/testing/test_tmpdir.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 from collections.abc import Callable
 import dataclasses
+import errno
 import os
 from pathlib import Path
 import shutil
@@ -757,6 +758,55 @@ def test_on_rm_rf_error_chmod_retry_walks_parents(self, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
         on_rm_rf_error(os.unlink, str(fn), exc_info, start_path=tmp_path)
         assert not fn.exists()
 
+    def test_on_rm_rf_error_is_a_directory_error(self, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+        """When os.unlink is called on a directory (e.g. traversal could not detect it),
+        on_rm_rf_error removes it via rm_rf and returns True (#15169)."""
+        subdir = tmp_path / "subdir"
+        subdir.mkdir()
+        (subdir / "child.txt").touch()
+
+        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+            exc_info = IsADirectoryError()
+            result = on_rm_rf_error(
+                os.unlink, str(subdir), exc_info, start_path=tmp_path
+            )
+            assert result is True
+            assert not subdir.exists()
+            assert not [x.message for x in w]
+
+    def test_on_rm_rf_error_directory_not_empty(self, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+        """When os.rmdir fails with ENOTEMPTY / EEXIST, on_rm_rf_error chmods the tree
+        and recursively removes it (#15169)."""
+        parent_dir = tmp_path / "parent_dir"
+        parent_dir.mkdir()
+        child_dir = parent_dir / "child_dir"
+        child_dir.mkdir()
+        (child_dir / "item.txt").touch()
+
+        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+            exc = OSError(errno.ENOTEMPTY, "Directory not empty")
+            result = on_rm_rf_error(os.rmdir, str(parent_dir), exc, start_path=tmp_path)
+            assert result is True
+            assert not parent_dir.exists()
+            assert not [x.message for x in w]
+
+    def test_find_prefixed_closes_scandir_iterator(self, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+        """find_prefixed exhausts and closes the scandir iterator cleanly (#15169)."""
+        from _pytest.pathlib import find_prefixed
+
+        (tmp_path / "pytest-1").mkdir()
+        (tmp_path / "pytest-2").mkdir()
+        (tmp_path / "other-3").mkdir()
+
+        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+            warnings.simplefilter("always", ResourceWarning)
+            items = list(find_prefixed(tmp_path, "pytest-"))
+            assert len(items) == 2
+            resource_warnings = [
+                x for x in w if issubclass(x.category, ResourceWarning)
+            ]
+            assert len(resource_warnings) == 0
+
 
 def attempt_symlink_to(path, to_path):
     """Try to make a symlink from "path" to "to_path", skipping in case this platform