diff --git a/src/main/cpp/blaze.cc b/src/main/cpp/blaze.cc
index 8493b5ec39b495..b9665e06730fee 100644
--- a/src/main/cpp/blaze.cc
+++ b/src/main/cpp/blaze.cc
@@ -998,6 +998,7 @@ static DurationMillis ExtractData(const string &self_path,
           result == blaze_util::kRenameDirectoryFailureNotEmpty) {
         // If renaming fails because the directory already exists and is not
         // empty, then we assume another good installation snuck in before us.
+        blaze_util::RemoveRecursively(tmp_install);
         break;
       } else {
         // Otherwise the install directory may still be scanned by the antivirus
@@ -1013,6 +1014,7 @@ static DurationMillis ExtractData(const string &self_path,
 
     // Give up renaming after 120 failed attempts / 2 minutes.
     if (attempts == 120) {
+      blaze_util::RemoveRecursively(tmp_install);
       BAZEL_DIE(blaze_exit_code::LOCAL_ENVIRONMENTAL_ERROR)
           << "install base directory '" << tmp_install
           << "' could not be renamed into place: " << GetLastErrorString();
diff --git a/src/main/cpp/util/file_platform.h b/src/main/cpp/util/file_platform.h
index bf462fd7bc8430..a918dcea7f0e1d 100644
--- a/src/main/cpp/util/file_platform.h
+++ b/src/main/cpp/util/file_platform.h
@@ -192,6 +192,11 @@ void SyncFile(const Path &path);
 bool MakeDirectories(const std::string &path, unsigned int mode);
 bool MakeDirectories(const Path &path, unsigned int mode);
 
+// Removes the specified path or directory, and in the latter case, all of its
+// contents. Returns true iff the path doesn't exists when the method completes
+// (including if the path didn't exist to begin with). Does not follow symlinks.
+bool RemoveRecursively(const std::string &path);
+
 // Returns the current working directory.
 // The path is platform-specific (e.g. Windows path of Windows) and absolute.
 std::string GetCwd();
diff --git a/src/main/cpp/util/file_posix.cc b/src/main/cpp/util/file_posix.cc
index c225f9ca90d6a5..84559b976dc58e 100644
--- a/src/main/cpp/util/file_posix.cc
+++ b/src/main/cpp/util/file_posix.cc
@@ -124,6 +124,45 @@ static bool MakeDirectories(const string &path, mode_t mode, bool childmost) {
   return stat_succeeded;
 }
 
+static bool RemoveDirRecursively(const std::string &path) {
+  DIR *dir;
+  if ((dir = opendir(path.c_str())) == NULL) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  struct dirent *ent;
+  while ((ent = readdir(dir)) != NULL) {
+    if (!strcmp(ent->d_name, ".") || !strcmp(ent->d_name, "..")) {
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    if (!RemoveRecursively(blaze_util::JoinPath(path, ent->d_name))) {
+      closedir(dir);
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (closedir(dir) != 0) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  return rmdir(path.c_str()) == 0;
+}
+
+bool RemoveRecursively(const std::string &path) {
+  struct stat stat_buf;
+  if (lstat(path.c_str(), &stat_buf) == -1) {
+    // Non-existent is good enough.
+    return errno == ENOENT;
+  }
+
+  if (S_ISDIR(stat_buf.st_mode) && !S_ISLNK(stat_buf.st_mode)) {
+    return RemoveDirRecursively(path);
+  } else {
+    return UnlinkPath(path);
+  }
+}
+
 class PosixPipe : public IPipe {
  public:
   PosixPipe(int recv_socket, int send_socket)
diff --git a/src/main/cpp/util/file_windows.cc b/src/main/cpp/util/file_windows.cc
index 5dc1c5aa6dbda9..475884997c48e8 100644
--- a/src/main/cpp/util/file_windows.cc
+++ b/src/main/cpp/util/file_windows.cc
@@ -646,6 +646,11 @@ bool MakeDirectories(const Path& path, unsigned int mode) {
   return MakeDirectoriesW(path.AsNativePath(), mode);
 }
 
+bool RemoveRecursively(const string &path) {
+  // TODO(bazel-team): Implement this.
+  return false;
+}
+
 static inline void ToLowerW(WCHAR* p) {
   while (*p) {
     *p++ = towlower(*p);
diff --git a/src/test/cpp/util/file_posix_test.cc b/src/test/cpp/util/file_posix_test.cc
index 75026af6b310e1..be5864f48b63f4 100644
--- a/src/test/cpp/util/file_posix_test.cc
+++ b/src/test/cpp/util/file_posix_test.cc
@@ -322,4 +322,67 @@ TEST(FilePosixTest, ForEachDirectoryEntry) {
   rmdir(root.c_str());
 }
 
+TEST(FileTest, TestRemoveRecursively) {
+  const char* tempdir_cstr = getenv("TEST_TMPDIR");
+  ASSERT_NE(tempdir_cstr, nullptr);
+  string tempdir(tempdir_cstr);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(PathExists(tempdir));
+
+  string non_existent_dir(JoinPath(tempdir, "test_rmr_non_existent"));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(RemoveRecursively(non_existent_dir));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(PathExists(non_existent_dir));
+
+  string empty_dir(JoinPath(tempdir, "test_rmr_empty_dir"));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(MakeDirectories(empty_dir, 0700));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(RemoveRecursively(empty_dir));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(PathExists(empty_dir));
+
+  string dir_with_content(JoinPath(tempdir, "test_rmr_dir_w_content"));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(MakeDirectories(dir_with_content, 0700));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(WriteFile("junkdata", 8, JoinPath(dir_with_content, "file")));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(MakeDirectories(JoinPath(dir_with_content, "dir"), 0700));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(RemoveRecursively(dir_with_content));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(PathExists(dir_with_content));
+
+  string regular_file(JoinPath(tempdir, "test_rmr_regular_file"));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(WriteFile("junkdata", 8, regular_file));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(RemoveRecursively(regular_file));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(PathExists(regular_file));
+
+  string unwritable_dir(JoinPath(tempdir, "test_rmr_unwritable"));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(MakeDirectories(unwritable_dir, 0700));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(WriteFile("junkdata", 8, JoinPath(unwritable_dir, "file")));
+  ASSERT_EQ(0, chmod(unwritable_dir.c_str(), 0500));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(RemoveRecursively(unwritable_dir));
+
+  string symlink_target_dir(JoinPath(tempdir, "test_rmr_symlink_target_dir"));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(MakeDirectories(symlink_target_dir, 0700));
+  string symlink_target_dir_file(JoinPath(symlink_target_dir, "file"));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(WriteFile("junkdata", 8, symlink_target_dir_file));
+  string symlink_dir(JoinPath(tempdir, "test_rmr_symlink_dir"));
+  EXPECT_EQ(0, symlink(symlink_target_dir.c_str(), symlink_dir.c_str()));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(RemoveRecursively(symlink_dir));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(PathExists(symlink_dir));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(PathExists(symlink_target_dir));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(PathExists(symlink_target_dir_file));
+
+  string dir_with_symlinks(JoinPath(tempdir, "test_rmr_dir_w_symlinks"));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(MakeDirectories(dir_with_symlinks, 0700));
+  string file_symlink_target(JoinPath(tempdir, "test_rmr_dir_w_symlinks_file"));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(WriteFile("junkdata", 8, file_symlink_target));
+  EXPECT_EQ(0, symlink(file_symlink_target.c_str(),
+                       JoinPath(dir_with_symlinks, "file").c_str()));
+  string dir_symlink_target(JoinPath(tempdir, "test_rmr_dir_w_symlinks_dir"));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(MakeDirectories(dir_symlink_target, 0700));
+  string dir_symlink_target_file(JoinPath(dir_symlink_target, "file"));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(WriteFile("junkdata", 8, dir_symlink_target_file));
+  EXPECT_EQ(0, symlink(dir_symlink_target.c_str(),
+                       JoinPath(dir_with_symlinks, "dir").c_str()));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(RemoveRecursively(dir_with_symlinks));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(PathExists(dir_with_symlinks));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(PathExists(dir_symlink_target));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(PathExists(dir_symlink_target_file));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(PathExists(file_symlink_target));
+}
+
 }  // namespace blaze_util
diff --git a/src/test/shell/integration/client_test.sh b/src/test/shell/integration/client_test.sh
index febb2d29256778..b0330621589ff8 100755
--- a/src/test/shell/integration/client_test.sh
+++ b/src/test/shell/integration/client_test.sh
@@ -153,6 +153,20 @@ function test_nonwritable_output_base() {
   expect_log "FATAL.* Output base directory '/' must be readable and writable."
 }
 
+function test_install_base_races_dont_leave_temp_files() {
+  declare -a client_pids
+  for i in {1..3}; do
+    bazel --install_base="$TEST_TMPDIR/race/install" \
+        --output_base="$TEST_TMPDIR/out$i" info install_base &
+    client_pids+=($!)
+  done
+  for pid in "${client_pids[@]}"; do
+    wait $pid
+  done
+  # Expect "install" to be the only thing in the "race" directory.
+  assert_equals "install" "$(ls "$TEST_TMPDIR/race/")"
+}
+
 function test_no_arguments() {
   bazel >&$TEST_log || fail "Expected zero exit"
   expect_log "Usage: b\\(laze\\|azel\\)"