diff --git a/builder/builder-utils.c b/builder/builder-utils.c
index c156b105..c7295edc 100644
--- a/builder/builder-utils.c
+++ b/builder/builder-utils.c
@@ -219,3 +219,19 @@ gboolean is_elf_file (const char *path,
 
   return FALSE;
 }
+
+gboolean directory_is_empty (const char *path)
+{
+  GDir *dir;
+  gboolean empty;
+
+  dir = g_dir_open (path, 0, NULL);
+  if (g_dir_read_name (dir) == NULL)
+    empty = TRUE;
+  else
+    empty = FALSE;
+
+  g_dir_close (dir);
+
+  return empty;
+}
diff --git a/builder/builder-utils.h b/builder/builder-utils.h
index 446d993e..173f3533 100644
--- a/builder/builder-utils.h
+++ b/builder/builder-utils.h
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ gboolean is_elf_file (const char *path,
                       gboolean *is_shared,
                       gboolean *is_stripped);
 
+gboolean directory_is_empty (const char *path);
+
 gboolean xdg_app_matches_path_pattern             (const char *path,
                                                    const char *pattern);
 void     xdg_app_collect_matches_for_path_pattern (const char *path,
diff --git a/builder/xdg-app-builder-main.c b/builder/xdg-app-builder-main.c
index ad7c7b33..152b1bcd 100644
--- a/builder/xdg-app-builder-main.c
+++ b/builder/xdg-app-builder-main.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "libgsystem.h"
 
 #include "builder-manifest.h"
+#include "builder-utils.h"
 
 static gboolean opt_verbose;
 static gboolean opt_version;
@@ -210,9 +211,10 @@ main (int    argc,
   base_dir = g_file_new_for_path (g_get_current_dir ());
   app_dir = g_file_new_for_path (app_dir_path);
 
-  if (!gs_shutil_rm_rf (app_dir, NULL, &error))
+  if (g_file_query_exists (app_dir, NULL) && !directory_is_empty (app_dir_path))
     {
-      g_print ("error removing old app dir '%s': %s\n", app_dir_path, error->message);
+      g_printerr ("App dir '%s' is not empty. Please delete "
+                  "the existing contents.\n", app_dir_path);
       return 1;
     }