diff --git a/fs/list/sorter.go b/fs/list/sorter.go
index b2674b294..cfe821238 100644
--- a/fs/list/sorter.go
+++ b/fs/list/sorter.go
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ type Sorter struct {
 	errChan    <-chan error          // for getting errors from the ext sort
 	sorter     *extsort.StringSorter // external string sort
 	errs       *errcount.ErrCount    // accumulate errors
+	tempDir    string                // directory for temp files (empty for default)
 }
 
 // KeyFn turns an entry into a sort key
@@ -144,6 +145,7 @@ func (ls *Sorter) startExtSort() (err error) {
 		ChanBuffSize:       1024,      // small effect
 		SortedChanBuffSize: 1024,      // makes a lot of difference
 		ChunkSize:          32 * 1024, // tuned for 50 char records (UUID sized)
+		TempFilesDir:       ls.tempDir,
 		// Defaults
 		// ChunkSize:          int(1e6),	// amount of records to store in each chunk which will be written to disk
 		// NumWorkers:         2,		// maximum number of workers to use for parallel sorting
@@ -152,6 +154,17 @@ func (ls *Sorter) startExtSort() (err error) {
 		// TempFilesDir:       "",		// empty for use OS default ex: /tmp
 	}
 	ls.sorter, ls.outputChan, ls.errChan = extsort.Strings(ls.inputChan, &opt)
+	if ls.sorter == nil {
+		// extsort.Strings returns nil when it can't create temp
+		// files (e.g. due to permissions or apparmor restrictions).
+		// The error will be on errChan.
+		select {
+		case err = <-ls.errChan:
+		default:
+			err = errors.New("failed to initialise on-disk sort")
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("sorter: %w", err)
+	}
 	go ls.sorter.Sort(ls.ctx)
 
 	// Show we are extsorting now
diff --git a/fs/list/sorter_test.go b/fs/list/sorter_test.go
index b8db3725e..b1941c481 100644
--- a/fs/list/sorter_test.go
+++ b/fs/list/sorter_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ import (
 	"cmp"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -231,6 +234,51 @@ func TestSorterExt(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Test that startExtSort returns an error instead of panicking when
+// temp file creation fails (e.g. due to permissions or apparmor).
+// See: https://github.com/rclone/rclone/issues/9244
+func TestSorterExtTempFileError(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ctx, ci := fs.AddConfig(ctx)
+	ci.ListCutoff = 1 // force ext sort on first Add
+
+	callback := func(entries fs.DirEntries) error {
+		return nil
+	}
+	ls, err := NewSorter(ctx, nil, callback, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer ls.CleanUp()
+
+	// Override tempDir to a path where os.MkdirAll will fail,
+	// simulating apparmor or permission denial. This makes
+	// extsort.Strings return a nil sorter.
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		// On Windows, create a regular file and use a child path.
+		// os.MkdirAll fails because an intermediate component is a file.
+		// Windows stat returns ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND (treated as
+		// IsNotExist) so the extsort library won't fall back to a
+		// default directory.
+		blocker := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "notadir")
+		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(blocker, []byte("x"), 0644))
+		ls.tempDir = filepath.Join(blocker, "sub")
+	} else {
+		// On Unix, create a read-only parent directory. stat on the
+		// child returns ENOENT so the extsort library won't fall
+		// back, but os.MkdirAll fails with EACCES.
+		parent := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "roparent")
+		require.NoError(t, os.Mkdir(parent, 0o755))
+		require.NoError(t, os.Chmod(parent, 0o555))
+		t.Cleanup(func() { _ = os.Chmod(parent, 0o755) })
+		ls.tempDir = filepath.Join(parent, "child")
+	}
+
+	// Add enough entries to trigger ext sort. Before the fix this
+	// would panic with nil pointer dereference.
+	err = ls.Add(fs.DirEntries{mockobject.Object("a"), mockobject.Object("b")})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "sorter:")
+}
+
 // benchFs implements enough of the fs.Fs interface for Sorter
 type benchFs struct{}