diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.properties b/org.eclipse.jgit/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.properties
index 3f845556e..c5d03ba44 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.properties
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.properties
@@ -698,6 +698,7 @@ truncatedHunkOldLinesMissing=Truncated hunk, at least {0} old lines is missing
 tSizeMustBeGreaterOrEqual1=tSize must be >= 1
 unableToCheckConnectivity=Unable to check connectivity.
 unableToCreateNewObject=Unable to create new object: {0}
+unableToRemovePath=Unable to remove path ''{0}''
 unableToStore=Unable to store {0}.
 unableToWrite=Unable to write {0}
 unauthorized=Unauthorized
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.java
index d3514344d..6f306b893 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.java
@@ -759,6 +759,7 @@ public static JGitText get() {
 	/***/ public String tSizeMustBeGreaterOrEqual1;
 	/***/ public String unableToCheckConnectivity;
 	/***/ public String unableToCreateNewObject;
+	/***/ public String unableToRemovePath;
 	/***/ public String unableToStore;
 	/***/ public String unableToWrite;
 	/***/ public String unauthorized;
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/RefDirectory.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/RefDirectory.java
index ad2d89afc..106c84b7f 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/RefDirectory.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/RefDirectory.java
@@ -1287,13 +1287,14 @@ private static void delete(final File file, final int depth, LockFile rLck)
 		File dir = file.getParentFile();
 		for (int i = 0; i < depth; ++i) {
 			try {
-				Files.delete(dir.toPath());
+				Files.deleteIfExists(dir.toPath());
 			} catch (DirectoryNotEmptyException e) {
 				// Don't log; normal case when there are other refs with the
 				// same prefix
 				break;
 			} catch (IOException e) {
-				LOG.warn("Unable to remove path {}", dir, e);
+				LOG.warn(MessageFormat.format(JGitText.get().unableToRemovePath,
+						dir), e);
 				break;
 			}
 			dir = dir.getParentFile();