diff --git a/command_before_func.go b/command_before_func.go
index dc28ea6..1f0a323 100644
--- a/command_before_func.go
+++ b/command_before_func.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/Azure/aztfexport/internal/meta"
 	"github.com/Azure/aztfexport/internal/utils"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform-config-inspect/tfconfig"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
@@ -131,9 +130,6 @@ func commandBeforeFunc(fset *FlagSet, mode Mode) func(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		if !empty {
 			switch {
 			case fset.flagOverwrite:
-				if err := utils.RemoveEverythingUnder(fset.flagOutputDir, meta.ResourceMappingFileName); err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("failed to clean up output directory %q: %v", fset.flagOutputDir, err)
-				}
 			case fset.flagAppend:
 				tfblock, err = utils.InspecTerraformBlock(fset.flagOutputDir)
 				if err != nil {
@@ -148,7 +144,7 @@ func commandBeforeFunc(fset *FlagSet, mode Mode) func(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 				fmt.Printf(`
 The output directory is not empty. Please choose one of actions below:
 
-* Press "Y" to overwrite the existing directory with new files
+* Press "Y" to proceed that will likely pollute the existing files and cause errors
 * Press "N" to append new files and add to the existing state instead
 * Press other keys to quit
 
@@ -158,9 +154,6 @@ The output directory is not empty. Please choose one of actions below:
 				fmt.Scanf("%s", &ans)
 				switch strings.ToLower(ans) {
 				case "y":
-					if err := utils.RemoveEverythingUnder(fset.flagOutputDir, meta.ResourceMappingFileName); err != nil {
-						return err
-					}
 				case "n":
 					if fset.flagHCLOnly {
 						return fmt.Errorf("`--hcl-only` can only run within an empty directory. Use `-o` to specify an empty directory.")
diff --git a/internal/meta/base_meta.go b/internal/meta/base_meta.go
index ce6004b..42afe43 100644
--- a/internal/meta/base_meta.go
+++ b/internal/meta/base_meta.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
@@ -541,53 +540,15 @@ func (meta baseMeta) ExportSkippedResources(_ context.Context, l ImportList) err
 }
 
 func (meta baseMeta) CleanUpWorkspace(_ context.Context) error {
-	// For hcl only mode with using terraform binary, we will have to clean up everything under the output directory,
+	// For hcl only mode with using terraform binary, we will have to clean up the state and terraform cli/provider related files the output directory,
 	// except for the TF code, resource mapping file and ignore list file.
 	if meta.hclOnly && meta.tfclient == nil {
-		tmpDir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		defer func() {
-			// #nosec G104
-			os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
-		}()
-
-		tmpMainCfg := filepath.Join(tmpDir, meta.outputFileNames.MainFileName)
-		tmpProviderCfg := filepath.Join(tmpDir, meta.outputFileNames.ProviderFileName)
-		tmpResourceMappingFileName := filepath.Join(tmpDir, ResourceMappingFileName)
-		tmpSkippedResourcesFileName := filepath.Join(tmpDir, SkippedResourcesFileName)
-
-		if err := utils.CopyFile(filepath.Join(meta.outdir, meta.outputFileNames.MainFileName), tmpMainCfg); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if err := utils.CopyFile(filepath.Join(meta.outdir, meta.outputFileNames.ProviderFileName), tmpProviderCfg); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if err := utils.CopyFile(filepath.Join(meta.outdir, ResourceMappingFileName), tmpResourceMappingFileName); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if err := utils.CopyFile(filepath.Join(meta.outdir, SkippedResourcesFileName), tmpSkippedResourcesFileName); err != nil {
-			if !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-				return err
-			}
-		}
-
-		if err := utils.RemoveEverythingUnder(meta.outdir); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		if err := utils.CopyFile(tmpMainCfg, filepath.Join(meta.outdir, meta.outputFileNames.MainFileName)); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if err := utils.CopyFile(tmpProviderCfg, filepath.Join(meta.outdir, meta.outputFileNames.ProviderFileName)); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if err := utils.CopyFile(tmpResourceMappingFileName, filepath.Join(meta.outdir, ResourceMappingFileName)); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if err := utils.CopyFile(tmpSkippedResourcesFileName, filepath.Join(meta.outdir, SkippedResourcesFileName)); err != nil {
-			if !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		for _, entryName := range []string{
+			"terraform.tfstate",
+			".terraform",
+			".terraform.lock.hcl",
+		} {
+			if err := os.RemoveAll(filepath.Join(meta.outdir, entryName)); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 91ba8de..58045f3 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ func main() {
 			Name:        "overwrite",
 			EnvVars:     []string{"AZTFEXPORT_OVERWRITE"},
 			Aliases:     []string{"f"},
-			Usage:       "Overwrites the output directory if it is not empty (use with caution)",
+			Usage:       "Proceed with non-empty output directory, which is likely to pollute the directory and cause errors (use with caution)",
 			Destination: &flagset.flagOverwrite,
 		},
 		&cli.BoolFlag{