diff --git a/src/_pytest/config/findpaths.py b/src/_pytest/config/findpaths.py
index 234b9e12906..02674ffae3b 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/config/findpaths.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/config/findpaths.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 from _pytest.outcomes import fail
 from _pytest.pathlib import absolutepath
 from _pytest.pathlib import commonpath
+from _pytest.pathlib import safe_exists
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from . import Config
@@ -151,14 +152,6 @@ def get_dir_from_path(path: Path) -> Path:
             return path
         return path.parent
 
-    def safe_exists(path: Path) -> bool:
-        # This can throw on paths that contain characters unrepresentable at the OS level,
-        # or with invalid syntax on Windows (https://bugs.python.org/issue35306)
-        try:
-            return path.exists()
-        except OSError:
-            return False
-
     # These look like paths but may not exist
     possible_paths = (
         absolutepath(get_file_part_from_node_id(arg))
diff --git a/src/_pytest/pathlib.py b/src/_pytest/pathlib.py
index b5c2d86452f..5c765c68348 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/pathlib.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/pathlib.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import atexit
 import contextlib
-import errno
 import fnmatch
 import importlib.util
 import itertools
@@ -798,7 +797,7 @@ def safe_exists(p: Path) -> bool:
     """Like Path.exists(), but account for input arguments that might be too long (#11394)."""
     try:
         return p.exists()
-    except OSError as e:
-        if e.errno == errno.ENAMETOOLONG:
-            return False
-        raise
+    except (ValueError, OSError):
+        # ValueError: stat: path too long for Windows
+        # OSError: [WinError 123] The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect
+        return False
diff --git a/testing/test_pathlib.py b/testing/test_pathlib.py
index 8a9659aabd9..678fd27feac 100644
--- a/testing/test_pathlib.py
+++ b/testing/test_pathlib.py
@@ -688,7 +688,6 @@ def test_safe_exists(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
         Path,
         "exists",
         autospec=True,
-        side_effect=OSError(errno.EIO, "another kind of error"),
+        side_effect=ValueError("name too long"),
     ):
-        with pytest.raises(OSError):
-            _ = safe_exists(p)
+        assert safe_exists(p) is False