diff --git a/arch/x86_64/tools/mcreboot-smp-x86.sh.in b/arch/x86_64/tools/mcreboot-smp-x86.sh.in
index e07b0140..084aab4a 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/tools/mcreboot-smp-x86.sh.in
+++ b/arch/x86_64/tools/mcreboot-smp-x86.sh.in
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ error_exit() {
 		    if ! perl -e '$tmpdir="/tmp/mcreboot"; @files = grep { -f } glob "$tmpdir/proc/irq/*/smp_affinity"; foreach $file (@files) { $dest = substr($file, length($tmpdir)); if (0) {print "cp $file $dest\n";} system("cp $file $dest 2>/dev/null"); }'; then
 			echo "warning: failed to restore /proc/irq/*/smp_affinity" >&2
 		    fi
+		    if [ -e /tmp/mcreboot ]; then rm -rf /tmp/mcreboot; fi
 		fi
 		;&
 	irqbalance_stopped)
diff --git a/arch/x86_64/tools/mcstop+release-smp-x86.sh.in b/arch/x86_64/tools/mcstop+release-smp-x86.sh.in
index 66cf41aa..b6748b3b 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/tools/mcstop+release-smp-x86.sh.in
+++ b/arch/x86_64/tools/mcstop+release-smp-x86.sh.in
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ if [ "${irqbalance_used}" != "" ]; then
 	if ! perl -e '$tmpdir="/tmp/mcreboot"; @files = grep { -f } glob "$tmpdir/proc/irq/*/smp_affinity"; foreach $file (@files) { $dest = substr($file, length($tmpdir)); if (0) {print "cp $file $dest\n";} system("cp $file $dest 2>/dev/null"); }'; then
 		echo "warning: failed to restore /proc/irq/*/smp_affinity" >&2
 	fi
+	if [ -e /tmp/mcreboot ]; then rm -rf /tmp/mcreboot; fi
 	if ! systemctl start irqbalance.service; then
 		echo "warning: failed to start irqbalance" >&2;
 	fi