diff --git a/tools/download-cleaner b/tools/download-cleaner
index d74026dc9e..dfc4380ede 100755
--- a/tools/download-cleaner
+++ b/tools/download-cleaner
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ for SOURCE_PACKAGE in $(find "${SOURCES}/" -mindepth 1 -type d); do
         PACKAGES_TO_UPDATE+="${PACKAGE_NAME}"
 
         if [ "${DESTRUCTIVE_RUN}" = "true" ]; then
-          rm "${FILE}"*
+          rm -f "${FILE}"*
         fi
       # current file handling
       elif [ "${BUILD_SOURCES}" = "true" ]; then
@@ -114,13 +114,13 @@ for SOURCE_PACKAGE in $(find "${SOURCES}/" -mindepth 1 -type d); do
   else
     echo "info: ${PACKAGE_NAME} no longer in tree"
     if [ "${DESTRUCTIVE_RUN}" = "true" ]; then
-      rm -r "${SOURCE_PACKAGE}"
+      rm -rf "${SOURCE_PACKAGE}"
     fi
   fi
 done
 
 if [ "${BUILD_SOURCES}" = "true" -a "${REPLACE_OLD}" = "true" ]; then
-  rm -r "${SOURCES}"
+  rm -rf "${SOURCES}"
   mv "${NEW_SOURCES}" "${SOURCES}"
 fi