diff --git a/usr/bin/archboot-cpio.sh b/usr/bin/archboot-cpio.sh
index a3ebe0b7e..9ddde3e5e 100755
--- a/usr/bin/archboot-cpio.sh
+++ b/usr/bin/archboot-cpio.sh
@@ -88,10 +88,13 @@ ldconfig -r "${_ROOTFS}" &>"${_NO_LOG}" || exit 1
 rm -f -- "${_ROOTFS}/var/cache/ldconfig/aux-cache"
 if [[ -n "${_GENERATE_IMAGE}" ]]; then
     _create_cpio "${_GENERATE_IMAGE}" "${_COMP}" || exit 1
+    _cleanup
     echo "Build complete."
 elif [[ -n "${_TARGET_DIR}" ]]; then
+    _cleanup
     echo "Build directory complete."
 else
+    _cleanup
     echo "Dry run complete."
 fi
 # vim: set ft=sh ts=4 sw=4 et:
diff --git a/usr/lib/archboot/cpio/cpio.sh b/usr/lib/archboot/cpio/cpio.sh
index 458720e90..7671f0f95 100644
--- a/usr/lib/archboot/cpio/cpio.sh
+++ b/usr/lib/archboot/cpio/cpio.sh
@@ -31,10 +31,13 @@ EOF
 
 _abort() {
     echo "ERROR:" "$@"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+_cleanup() {
     if [[ -n "${_BUILD_DIR}" ]]; then
         rm -rf -- "${_BUILD_DIR}"
     fi
-    exit 1
 }
 
 _builtin_modules() {