diff --git a/pinentry_darwin.go b/pinentry_darwin.go
index f634a1e..40c0c86 100644
--- a/pinentry_darwin.go
+++ b/pinentry_darwin.go
@@ -1,11 +1,20 @@
+//go:build darwin
 // +build darwin
 
 package pinentry
 
-import "github.com/gopasspw/pinentry/gpgconf"
+import (
+	"os/exec"
+
+	"github.com/gopasspw/pinentry/gpgconf"
+)
 
 // GetBinary always returns pinentry-mac
 func GetBinary() string {
+	// check, whether the returned path acutally exists
+	if _, err := exec.LookPath("pinentry-mac"); err == nil {
+		return "pinentry-mac"
+	}
 	if p, err := gpgconf.Path("pinentry"); err == nil && p != "" {
 		return p
 	}
diff --git a/pinentry_others.go b/pinentry_others.go
index 4a60e38..a0380f8 100644
--- a/pinentry_others.go
+++ b/pinentry_others.go
@@ -2,12 +2,18 @@
 
 package pinentry
 
-import "github.com/gopasspw/pinentry/gpgconf"
+import (
+	"github.com/gopasspw/pinentry/gpgconf"
+	"os/exec"
+)
 
 // GetBinary returns the binary name
 func GetBinary() string {
 	if p, err := gpgconf.Path("pinentry"); err == nil && p != "" {
-		return p
+		// check, whether the returned path acutally exists
+		if _, err := exec.LookPath(p); err == nil {
+			return p
+		}
 	}
 	return "pinentry"
 }