diff --git a/meta/classes/image_types.bbclass b/meta/classes/image_types.bbclass
index 80a67bae47..0c27f298fc 100644
--- a/meta/classes/image_types.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/image_types.bbclass
@@ -68,10 +68,10 @@ IMAGE_CMD_squashfs-xz = "mksquashfs ${IMAGE_ROOTFS} ${DEPLOY_DIR_IMAGE}/${IMAGE_
 IMAGE_CMD_squashfs-lzo = "mksquashfs ${IMAGE_ROOTFS} ${DEPLOY_DIR_IMAGE}/${IMAGE_NAME}.rootfs.squashfs-lzo ${EXTRA_IMAGECMD} -noappend -comp lzo"
 IMAGE_CMD_tar = "tar -cvf ${DEPLOY_DIR_IMAGE}/${IMAGE_NAME}.rootfs.tar -C ${IMAGE_ROOTFS} ."
 
+do_rootfs[cleandirs] += "${WORKDIR}/cpio_append"
 IMAGE_CMD_cpio () {
 	(cd ${IMAGE_ROOTFS} && find . | cpio -o -H newc >${DEPLOY_DIR_IMAGE}/${IMAGE_NAME}.rootfs.cpio)
 	if [ ! -L ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/init -a ! -e ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/init ]; then
-		mkdir -p ${WORKDIR}/cpio_append
 		if [ -L ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/sbin/init -o -e ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/sbin/init ]; then
 			ln -sf /sbin/init ${WORKDIR}/cpio_append/init
 		else