diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index a28858bbb23ae767785652db1657e00559ec7d2e..fc6fbf9a60320983085515dda93ec2b39bfbb511 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -3775,27 +3775,35 @@ static void net_slirp_redir(const char *redir_str)
 
 char smb_dir[1024];
 
-static void smb_exit(void)
+static void erase_dir(char *dir_name)
 {
     DIR *d;
     struct dirent *de;
     char filename[1024];
 
     /* erase all the files in the directory */
-    d = opendir(smb_dir);
-    for(;;) {
-        de = readdir(d);
-        if (!de)
-            break;
-        if (strcmp(de->d_name, ".") != 0 &&
-            strcmp(de->d_name, "..") != 0) {
-            snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s/%s",
-                     smb_dir, de->d_name);
-            unlink(filename);
+    if ((d = opendir(dir_name)) != 0) {
+        for(;;) {
+            de = readdir(d);
+            if (!de)
+                break;
+            if (strcmp(de->d_name, ".") != 0 &&
+                strcmp(de->d_name, "..") != 0) {
+                snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s/%s",
+                         smb_dir, de->d_name);
+                if (unlink(filename) != 0)  /* is it a directory? */
+                    erase_dir(filename);
+            }
         }
+        closedir(d);
+        rmdir(dir_name);
     }
-    closedir(d);
-    rmdir(smb_dir);
+}
+
+/* automatic user mode samba server configuration */
+static void smb_exit(void)
+{
+    erase_dir(smb_dir);
 }
 
 /* automatic user mode samba server configuration */