diff --git a/Annex/Direct.hs b/Annex/Direct.hs
index eb8d4842d5..495ff5e75f 100644
--- a/Annex/Direct.hs
+++ b/Annex/Direct.hs
@@ -182,8 +182,9 @@ mergeDirect startbranch oldref branch resolvemerge commitmode = exclusively $ do
 				mergeDirectCommit merged startbranch branch commitmode
 				liftIO $ whenM (doesFileExist tmpi) $
 					rename tmpi reali
-			else liftIO $ nukeFile tmpi
-
+			else do
+				liftIO $ nukeFile tmpi
+		liftIO $ removeDirectoryRecursive d
 		return ok
   where
 	exclusively = withExclusiveLock gitAnnexMergeLock
@@ -233,9 +234,7 @@ mergeDirectCommit allowff old branch commitmode = do
 	canff = maybe (return False) (\o -> inRepo $ Git.Branch.fastForwardable o branch) old
 
 mergeDirectCleanup :: FilePath -> Git.Ref -> Annex ()
-mergeDirectCleanup d oldref = do
-	updateWorkTree d oldref False
-	liftIO $ removeDirectoryRecursive d
+mergeDirectCleanup d oldref = updateWorkTree d oldref False
 
 {- Updates the direct mode work tree to reflect the changes staged in the
  - index by a git command, that was run in a temporary work tree.