diff --git a/src/fileops.c b/src/fileops.c
index ab3f43cc5..9f3a65d27 100644
--- a/src/fileops.c
+++ b/src/fileops.c
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ int git_futils_mkdir_r(const char *path, int mode)
 	return GIT_SUCCESS;
 }
 
-static int _rmdir_recurs_cb(void *GIT_UNUSED(nil), char *path)
+static int _rmdir_recurs_foreach(void *force_removal_of_non_empty_directory, char *path)
 {
 	int error = GIT_SUCCESS;
 
@@ -311,21 +311,24 @@ static int _rmdir_recurs_cb(void *GIT_UNUSED(nil), char *path)
 	if (error == GIT_SUCCESS) {
 		size_t root_size = strlen(path);
 
-		if ((error = git_futils_direach(path, GIT_PATH_MAX, _rmdir_recurs_cb, NULL)) < GIT_SUCCESS)
+		if ((error = git_futils_direach(path, GIT_PATH_MAX, _rmdir_recurs_foreach, force_removal_of_non_empty_directory)) < GIT_SUCCESS)
 			return git__rethrow(error, "Failed to remove directory `%s`", path);
 
 		path[root_size] = '\0';
 		return p_rmdir(path);
 	}
 
-	return git__rethrow(error, "Failed to remove directory. `%s` is not a directory", path);
+	if (*(int *)(force_removal_of_non_empty_directory))
+		return p_unlink(path);
+	else
+		return git__rethrow(error, "Failed to remove directory. `%s` is not a directory", path);
 }
 
-int git_futils_rmdir_recurs(const char *path)
+int git_futils_rmdir_recurs(const char *path, int force_removal_of_non_empty_directory)
 {
 	char p[GIT_PATH_MAX];
 	strncpy(p, path, GIT_PATH_MAX);
-	return  _rmdir_recurs_cb(NULL, p);
+	return  _rmdir_recurs_foreach(&force_removal_of_non_empty_directory, p);
 }
 
 int git_futils_cmp_path(const char *name1, int len1, int isdir1,
diff --git a/src/fileops.h b/src/fileops.h
index cd3ff2f10..48071d6d1 100644
--- a/src/fileops.h
+++ b/src/fileops.h
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ extern int git_futils_mkdir_r(const char *path, int mode);
  */
 extern int git_futils_mkpath2file(const char *path);
 
+extern int git_futils_rmdir_recurs(const char *path, int force_removal_of_non_empty_directory);
+
 /**
  * Create and open a temporary file with a `_git2_` suffix
  */
@@ -102,9 +104,6 @@ extern int git_futils_mv_withpath(const char *from, const char *to);
  */
 extern git_off_t git_futils_filesize(git_file fd);
 
-/* Recursively remove an empty directory structure */
-extern int git_futils_rmdir_recurs(const char *path);
-
 /* Taken from git.git */
 GIT_INLINE(int) is_dot_or_dotdot(const char *name)
 {
diff --git a/tests/t00-core.c b/tests/t00-core.c
index 1e9f97521..5e2f0da17 100644
--- a/tests/t00-core.c
+++ b/tests/t00-core.c
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ static int setup_empty_tmp_dir()
 
 BEGIN_TEST(rmdir0, "make sure empty dir can be deleted recusively")
 	must_pass(setup_empty_tmp_dir());
-	must_pass(git_futils_rmdir_recurs(empty_tmp_dir));
+	must_pass(git_futils_rmdir_recurs(empty_tmp_dir, 0));
 END_TEST
 
 BEGIN_TEST(rmdir1, "make sure non-empty dir cannot be deleted recusively")
@@ -520,9 +520,9 @@ BEGIN_TEST(rmdir1, "make sure non-empty dir cannot be deleted recusively")
 	fd = p_creat(file, 0755);
 	must_pass(fd);
 	must_pass(p_close(fd));
-	must_fail(git_futils_rmdir_recurs(empty_tmp_dir));
+	must_fail(git_futils_rmdir_recurs(empty_tmp_dir, 0));
 	must_pass(p_unlink(file));
-	must_pass(git_futils_rmdir_recurs(empty_tmp_dir));
+	must_pass(git_futils_rmdir_recurs(empty_tmp_dir, 0));
 END_TEST
 
 BEGIN_SUITE(core)
diff --git a/tests/t06-index.c b/tests/t06-index.c
index 3cbb5a9f0..4a111b42e 100644
--- a/tests/t06-index.c
+++ b/tests/t06-index.c
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(add0, "add a new file to the index")
 
     git_index_free(index);
 	git_repository_free(repo);
-	rmdir_recurs(TEMP_REPO_FOLDER);
+	must_pass(git_futils_rmdir_recurs(TEMP_REPO_FOLDER, 1));
 END_TEST
 
 BEGIN_SUITE(index)
diff --git a/tests/t12-repo.c b/tests/t12-repo.c
index 6d897a14e..e1726e07c 100644
--- a/tests/t12-repo.c
+++ b/tests/t12-repo.c
@@ -141,13 +141,13 @@ static int ensure_repository_init(
 		goto cleanup;
 
 	git_repository_free(repo);
-	rmdir_recurs(working_directory);
+	git_futils_rmdir_recurs(working_directory, 1);
 
 	return GIT_SUCCESS;
 
 cleanup:
 	git_repository_free(repo);
-	rmdir_recurs(working_directory);
+	git_futils_rmdir_recurs(working_directory, 1);
 	return GIT_ERROR;
 }
 
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(init2, "Initialize and open a bare repo with a relative path escaping
 	git_repository_free(repo);
 
 	must_pass(chdir(current_workdir));
-	rmdir_recurs(TEMP_REPO_FOLDER);
+	must_pass(git_futils_rmdir_recurs(TEMP_REPO_FOLDER, 1));
 END_TEST
 
 #define EMPTY_BARE_REPOSITORY_NAME		"empty_bare.git"
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(open0, "Open a bare repository that has just been initialized by git"
 	must_be_true(git_repository_path(repo, GIT_REPO_PATH_WORKDIR) == NULL);
 
 	git_repository_free(repo);
-	must_pass(rmdir_recurs(TEMP_REPO_FOLDER));
+	must_pass(git_futils_rmdir_recurs(TEMP_REPO_FOLDER, 1));
 END_TEST
 
 #define SOURCE_EMPTY_REPOSITORY_NAME	"empty_standard_repo/.gitted"
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(open1, "Open a standard repository that has just been initialized by
 	must_be_true(git_repository_path(repo, GIT_REPO_PATH_WORKDIR) != NULL);
 
 	git_repository_free(repo);
-	must_pass(rmdir_recurs(TEMP_REPO_FOLDER));
+	must_pass(git_futils_rmdir_recurs(TEMP_REPO_FOLDER, 1));
 END_TEST
 
 
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(open2, "Open a bare repository with a relative path escaping out of t
 	git_repository_free(repo);
 
 	must_pass(chdir(current_workdir));
-	rmdir_recurs(TEMP_REPO_FOLDER);
+	must_pass(git_futils_rmdir_recurs(TEMP_REPO_FOLDER, 1));
 END_TEST
 
 BEGIN_TEST(empty0, "test if a repository is empty or not")
@@ -392,7 +392,6 @@ BEGIN_TEST(discover0, "test discover")
 	char found_path[GIT_PATH_MAX];
 	int mode = 0755;
 
-	rmdir_recurs(DISCOVER_FOLDER);
 	must_pass(append_ceiling_dir(ceiling_dirs,TEST_RESOURCES));
 	git_futils_mkdir_r(DISCOVER_FOLDER, mode);
 
@@ -447,7 +446,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(discover0, "test discover")
 	must_pass(ensure_repository_discover(REPOSITORY_ALTERNATE_FOLDER_SUB_SUB, ceiling_dirs, sub_repository_path));
 	must_pass(ensure_repository_discover(REPOSITORY_ALTERNATE_FOLDER_SUB_SUB_SUB, ceiling_dirs, repository_path));
 
-	rmdir_recurs(DISCOVER_FOLDER);
+	must_pass(git_futils_rmdir_recurs(DISCOVER_FOLDER, 1));
 	git_repository_free(repo);
 END_TEST
 
diff --git a/tests/test_helpers.c b/tests/test_helpers.c
index 5c2ccee15..f2f37a1e4 100644
--- a/tests/test_helpers.c
+++ b/tests/test_helpers.c
@@ -176,34 +176,6 @@ int cmp_files(const char *a, const char *b)
 	return error;
 }
 
-static int remove_filesystem_element_recurs(void *GIT_UNUSED(nil), char *path)
-{
-	int error = GIT_SUCCESS;
-
-	GIT_UNUSED_ARG(nil);
-
-	error = git_futils_isdir(path);
-	if (error == GIT_SUCCESS) {
-		size_t root_size = strlen(path);
-
-		error = git_futils_direach(path, GIT_PATH_MAX, remove_filesystem_element_recurs, NULL);
-		if (error < GIT_SUCCESS)
-			return error;
-
-		path[root_size] = 0;
-		return rmdir(path);
-	}
-
-	return p_unlink(path);
-}
-
-int rmdir_recurs(const char *directory_path)
-{
-	char buffer[GIT_PATH_MAX];
-	strcpy(buffer, directory_path);
-	return remove_filesystem_element_recurs(NULL, buffer);
-}
-
 typedef struct {
 	size_t src_len, dst_len;
 	char *dst;
@@ -255,7 +227,7 @@ int open_temp_repo(git_repository **repo, const char *path)
 void close_temp_repo(git_repository *repo)
 {
 	git_repository_free(repo);
-	rmdir_recurs(TEMP_REPO_FOLDER);
+	git_futils_rmdir_recurs(TEMP_REPO_FOLDER, 1);
 }
 
 static int remove_placeholders_recurs(void *filename, char *path)