diff --git a/osbuild/loop.py b/osbuild/loop.py
index 77334c3f..675ea510 100644
--- a/osbuild/loop.py
+++ b/osbuild/loop.py
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ __all__ = [
     "UnexpectedDevice"
 ]
 
+# can be mocked in tests
+DEV_PATH = "/dev"
+
 
 class UnexpectedDevice(Exception):
     def __init__(self, expected_minor, rdev, mode):
@@ -124,8 +127,14 @@ class Loop:
 
         with contextlib.ExitStack() as stack:
             if not dir_fd:
-                dir_fd = os.open("/dev", os.O_DIRECTORY)
+                dir_fd = os.open(DEV_PATH, os.O_DIRECTORY)
                 stack.callback(lambda: os.close(dir_fd))
+            # ensure the device node is availale, in containers it may
+            # not get dynamically created
+            try:
+                self.mknod(dir_fd)
+            except FileExistsError:
+                pass
             self.fd = os.open(self.devname, os.O_RDWR, dir_fd=dir_fd)
 
         info = os.stat(self.fd)
@@ -534,7 +543,7 @@ class LoopControl:
 
         with contextlib.ExitStack() as stack:
             if not dir_fd:
-                dir_fd = os.open("/dev", os.O_DIRECTORY)
+                dir_fd = os.open(DEV_PATH, os.O_DIRECTORY)
                 stack.callback(lambda: os.close(dir_fd))
 
             self.fd = os.open("loop-control", os.O_RDWR, dir_fd=dir_fd)
diff --git a/test/mod/test_loop.py b/test/mod/test_loop.py
index 0b5ba6bb..2bd3e6ce 100644
--- a/test/mod/test_loop.py
+++ b/test/mod/test_loop.py
@@ -5,9 +5,11 @@
 import contextlib
 import fcntl
 import os
+import pathlib
 import threading
 import time
 from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory, TemporaryFile
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -255,6 +257,17 @@ def test_on_close(tempdir):
         ctl.close()
 
 
-def test_loop_handles_error_in_init():
+@patch("os.open", side_effect=FileNotFoundError)
+def test_loop_handles_error_in_init(mocked_open):
     with pytest.raises(FileNotFoundError):
-        lopo = loop.Loop("non-existing")
+        lopo = loop.Loop(999)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(os.getuid() != 0, reason="root only")
+def test_loop_create_mknod():
+    # tmpdir must be /var/tmp because /tmp is usually mounted with "nodev"
+    with TemporaryDirectory(dir="/var/tmp") as tmpdir:
+        with patch.object(loop, "DEV_PATH", new=tmpdir) as mocked_dev_path:
+            lopo = loop.Loop(1337)
+            assert lopo.devname == "loop1337"
+            assert pathlib.Path(f"{tmpdir}/loop1337").is_block_device()