diff --git a/Lib/multiprocessing/shared_memory.py b/Lib/multiprocessing/shared_memory.py
index 99a8ce3320ad4ee..e34434c95689094 100644
--- a/Lib/multiprocessing/shared_memory.py
+++ b/Lib/multiprocessing/shared_memory.py
@@ -116,7 +116,14 @@ def __init__(self, name=None, create=False, size=0, *, track=True):
                 size = stats.st_size
                 self._mmap = mmap.mmap(self._fd, size)
             except OSError:
-                self.unlink()
+                self.close()
+                # Only destroy the shared memory block if we created it in
+                # this call.  When attaching to a block created by another
+                # process we must not unlink another owner's memory.  The
+                # block has not been registered with the resource tracker
+                # yet, so unlink it directly to avoid a spurious UNREGISTER.
+                if create:
+                    _posixshmem.shm_unlink(self._name)
                 raise
             if self._track:
                 resource_tracker.register(self._name, "shared_memory")
diff --git a/Lib/test/_test_multiprocessing.py b/Lib/test/_test_multiprocessing.py
index 115a187a8a85882..cf887d4130e10ba 100644
--- a/Lib/test/_test_multiprocessing.py
+++ b/Lib/test/_test_multiprocessing.py
@@ -4615,6 +4615,44 @@ class OptionalAttachSharedMemory(shared_memory.SharedMemory):
 
         sms.close()
 
+    @unittest.skipUnless(shared_memory._USE_POSIX,
+                         "POSIX shared memory required")
+    def test_shared_memory_attach_failure_preserves_block(self):
+        # A failure to mmap while *attaching* to an existing shared memory
+        # block (create=False) must not unlink (destroy) the block, which
+        # is owned by another party.
+        name = self._new_shm_name('test_attach_fail')
+        owner = shared_memory.SharedMemory(name, create=True, size=1024)
+        self.addCleanup(owner.unlink)
+        self.addCleanup(owner.close)
+
+        with unittest.mock.patch(
+                'multiprocessing.shared_memory.mmap.mmap',
+                side_effect=OSError("simulated mmap failure")):
+            with self.assertRaises(OSError):
+                shared_memory.SharedMemory(name)  # attach must not unlink
+
+        # The owner's block must still be attachable.
+        attached = shared_memory.SharedMemory(name)
+        self.addCleanup(attached.close)
+        self.assertGreaterEqual(attached.size, 1024)
+
+    @unittest.skipUnless(shared_memory._USE_POSIX,
+                         "POSIX shared memory required")
+    def test_shared_memory_create_failure_cleans_up(self):
+        # A failure to mmap while *creating* a block must destroy the
+        # just-created block so that it is not leaked.
+        name = self._new_shm_name('test_create_fail')
+        with unittest.mock.patch(
+                'multiprocessing.shared_memory.mmap.mmap',
+                side_effect=OSError("simulated mmap failure")):
+            with self.assertRaises(OSError):
+                shared_memory.SharedMemory(name, create=True, size=1024)
+
+        # The half-created block must not survive.
+        with self.assertRaises(FileNotFoundError):
+            shared_memory.SharedMemory(name)
+
     def test_shared_memory_recreate(self):
         # Test if shared memory segment is created properly,
         # when _make_filename returns an existing shared memory segment name
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-07-07-19-30-33.gh-issue-153279.xxY4MA.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-07-07-19-30-33.gh-issue-153279.xxY4MA.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..e4c3924b05b201e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-07-07-19-30-33.gh-issue-153279.xxY4MA.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Fix :class:`multiprocessing.shared_memory.SharedMemory` destroying another
+process's shared memory block when attaching to it fails.  A failure to
+:func:`~mmap.mmap` while attaching (``create=False``) no longer unlinks the
+block, which is owned by another process; the file descriptor is simply
+closed.  The block is now unlinked only when it was created in the failing
+call.