diff --git a/test_tools/dd.py b/test_tools/dd.py
index b40e8b1..cefb8d9 100644
--- a/test_tools/dd.py
+++ b/test_tools/dd.py
@@ -1,17 +1,55 @@
 #
 # Copyright(c) 2019-2021 Intel Corporation
 # Copyright(c) 2024 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
+# Copyright(c) 2026 Unvertical
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 #
 
 import type_def.size as size
 from core.test_run import TestRun
+from connection.utils.output import CmdException
 from test_tools.common.linux_command import LinuxCommand
 
 
+# TODO: Remove it when it's fixed in uutils.
+#
+# The uutils coreutils `dd` (the default `dd` on some recent distros, e.g.
+# Ubuntu 26.04) does not page-align its O_DIRECT buffer to bdev block size.
+# As a result iflag=direct / oflag=direct transfers are unreliable.
+# On kernel 7.0 there is a strict BIO alignment check, which makes I/O
+# fail, sometimes in very nasty ways, especially in bio-based block device
+# drivers.
+#
+# As a temporary solution, fall back to gnu-coreutils.
+_gnu_dd_binary = {}
+
+
+def _resolve_gnu_dd():
+    executor = TestRun.executor
+    cached = _gnu_dd_binary.get(id(executor))
+    if cached:
+        return cached
+
+    output = None
+    for candidate in ("dd", "gnudd"):
+        output = executor.run(f"{candidate} --version")
+        version = f"{output.stdout}\n{output.stderr}".lower()
+        if output.exit_code == 0 and "coreutils" in version and "uutils" not in version:
+            _gnu_dd_binary[id(executor)] = candidate
+            return candidate
+
+    raise CmdException(
+        "GNU dd not found. The system 'dd' is not GNU coreutils (likely a uutils "
+        "reimplementation, which mis-aligns O_DIRECT buffers) and no 'gnudd' binary "
+        "is available. Install the GNU coreutils package on the DUT (e.g. "
+        "'gnu-coreutils', which provides the 'gnudd' binary).",
+        output,
+    )
+
+
 class Dd(LinuxCommand):
     def __init__(self):
-        LinuxCommand.__init__(self, TestRun.executor, 'dd')
+        LinuxCommand.__init__(self, TestRun.executor, _resolve_gnu_dd())
 
     def block_size(self, value: size.Size):
         return self.set_param('bs', int(value.get_value()))