diff --git a/cmds/ocm/commands/ocmcmds/componentarchive/create/cmd.go b/cmds/ocm/commands/ocmcmds/componentarchive/create/cmd.go
index b10e381bfd..0927dafaef 100644
--- a/cmds/ocm/commands/ocmcmds/componentarchive/create/cmd.go
+++ b/cmds/ocm/commands/ocmcmds/componentarchive/create/cmd.go
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ func (o *Command) Run() error {
 	}
 	obj, err := comparch.Create(o.Context.OCMContext(), accessobj.ACC_CREATE, fp, mode, o.Handler, fs)
 	if err != nil {
-		fs.RemoveAll(fp)
 		return err
 	}
 	desc := obj.GetDescriptor()
diff --git a/pkg/common/accessobj/format-directory.go b/pkg/common/accessobj/format-directory.go
index 104a163ff8..07edad78cf 100644
--- a/pkg/common/accessobj/format-directory.go
+++ b/pkg/common/accessobj/format-directory.go
@@ -62,10 +62,15 @@ func (_ DirectoryHandler) Create(info AccessObjectInfo, path string, opts access
 	}
 	rep, err := projectionfs.New(opts.GetPathFileSystem(), path)
 	if err != nil {
+		opts.GetPathFileSystem().RemoveAll(path)
 		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to create projected filesystem from path %s", path)
 	}
 	opts.SetRepresentation(rep)
-	return NewAccessObject(info, ACC_CREATE, rep, nil, nil, mode)
+	obj, err := NewAccessObject(info, ACC_CREATE, rep, nil, nil, mode)
+	if err != nil {
+		opts.GetPathFileSystem().RemoveAll(path)
+	}
+	return obj, err
 }
 
 // WriteToFilesystem writes the current object to a filesystem.