diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 4da953b..5d023ca 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1283,6 +1283,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "interpreter",
  "memchr",
  "parser",
+ "rustix",
  "thiserror",
  "tracing",
  "tracing-error",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 5ee4afa..949b9a0 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ license.workspace = true
 name = "awk"
 path = "src/main.rs"
 
+[[bin]]
+name = "pwcat"
+path = "src/bin/pwcat.rs"
+
+[target.'cfg(unix)'.dependencies]
+rustix = { version = "1.1.4", features = ["fs"] }
+
 [workspace.package]
 version = "0.1.0"
 license = "MIT OR Apache-2.0"
diff --git a/src/bin/pwcat.rs b/src/bin/pwcat.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..432b303
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/bin/pwcat.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+// This file is part of the uutils awk package.
+//
+// For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+// files that was distributed with this source code.
+
+//! Dump the password database in `/etc/passwd` format for gawk library routines.
+//!
+//! Based on the program from the GNU Awk User's Guide (public domain).
+//! <https://www.gnu.org/software/gawk/manual/html_node/Passwd-Functions.html>
+
+use std::{
+    io::{self, Write},
+    process,
+};
+
+#[cfg(unix)]
+const PASSWD_DB: &str = "/etc/passwd";
+
+fn main() {
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    {
+        if let Err(err) = run()
+            && err.kind() != io::ErrorKind::BrokenPipe
+        {
+            let _ = writeln!(io::stderr(), "pwcat: {err}");
+            process::exit(1);
+        }
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(unix))]
+    {
+        let _ = writeln!(io::stderr(), "pwcat: not supported on this platform");
+        process::exit(1);
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(unix)]
+fn run() -> io::Result<()> {
+    use rustix::fs::{Mode, OFlags, open};
+    use std::fs::File;
+
+    let fd = open(PASSWD_DB, OFlags::RDONLY, Mode::empty())
+        .map_err(|err| io::Error::from_raw_os_error(err.raw_os_error()))?;
+    let mut input = File::from(fd);
+    let mut out = io::stdout().lock();
+    io::copy(&mut input, &mut out)?;
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/tests/pwcat.rs b/tests/pwcat.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f69ced
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pwcat.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+// This file is part of the uutils awk package.
+//
+// For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+// files that was distributed with this source code.
+
+#[cfg_attr(
+    not(target_os = "linux"),
+    ignore = "pwcat tests require Linux NSS via getent"
+)]
+#[test]
+fn pwcat_outputs_passwd_database_format() {
+    use std::process::Command;
+
+    let output = Command::new(env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_pwcat"))
+        .output()
+        .expect("failed to run pwcat");
+
+    assert!(
+        output.status.success(),
+        "pwcat failed: stderr={}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr)
+    );
+
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+    assert!(
+        !stdout.is_empty(),
+        "pwcat produced no output; password database may be unavailable in this environment"
+    );
+
+    for line in stdout.lines().filter(|line| !line.is_empty()) {
+        let fields: Vec<&str> = line.split(':').collect();
+        assert_eq!(
+            fields.len(),
+            7,
+            "expected 7 colon-separated fields in line: {line}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            fields[2].chars().all(|ch| ch.is_ascii_digit()),
+            "expected numeric uid in line: {line}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            fields[3].chars().all(|ch| ch.is_ascii_digit()),
+            "expected numeric gid in line: {line}"
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+// Regression test for gawk compatibility: pwcat must match the password database
+// format consumed by gawk library routines (see passwd.awk).
+#[cfg_attr(
+    not(target_os = "linux"),
+    ignore = "pwcat tests require Linux NSS via getent"
+)]
+#[test]
+fn pwcat_matches_getent_passwd() {
+    use std::process::Command;
+
+    let getent = Command::new("getent")
+        .arg("passwd")
+        .output()
+        .expect("failed to run getent");
+    if !getent.status.success() {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    let pwcat = Command::new(env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_pwcat"))
+        .output()
+        .expect("failed to run pwcat");
+    assert!(
+        pwcat.status.success(),
+        "pwcat failed: stderr={}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&pwcat.stderr)
+    );
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        getent.stdout, pwcat.stdout,
+        "pwcat output should match getent passwd"
+    );
+}