diff --git a/elements/fedora/root.d/10-fedora-cloud-image b/elements/fedora/root.d/10-fedora-cloud-image
index 2b3f6b2ff..91617f867 100755
--- a/elements/fedora/root.d/10-fedora-cloud-image
+++ b/elements/fedora/root.d/10-fedora-cloud-image
@@ -73,4 +73,6 @@ fi
 # Extract the base image (use --numeric-owner to avoid UID/GID mismatch between
 # image tarball and host OS e.g. when building Fedora image on an openSUSE host)
 sudo tar -C $TARGET_ROOT --numeric-owner -xzf $DIB_IMAGE_CACHE/$BASE_IMAGE_TAR
-sudo rmdir $TARGET_ROOT/lost+found
+if [ -e "$TARGET_ROOT/lost+found" ]; then
+  sudo rmdir $TARGET_ROOT/lost+found
+fi
diff --git a/elements/rhel/root.d/10-rhel-cloud-image b/elements/rhel/root.d/10-rhel-cloud-image
index 724dd1130..cd7c31b24 100755
--- a/elements/rhel/root.d/10-rhel-cloud-image
+++ b/elements/rhel/root.d/10-rhel-cloud-image
@@ -54,4 +54,6 @@ fi
 # Extract the base image (use --numeric-owner to avoid UID/GID mismatch between
 # image tarball and host OS e.g. when building RHEL image on an openSUSE host)
 sudo tar -C $TARGET_ROOT --numeric-owner -xzf $DIB_IMAGE_CACHE/$BASE_IMAGE_TAR
-sudo rmdir $TARGET_ROOT/lost+found
+if [ -e "$TARGET_ROOT/lost+found" ]; then
+  sudo rmdir $TARGET_ROOT/lost+found
+fi
diff --git a/elements/ubuntu/root.d/10-cache-ubuntu-tarball b/elements/ubuntu/root.d/10-cache-ubuntu-tarball
index 400e57f0a..5da254527 100755
--- a/elements/ubuntu/root.d/10-cache-ubuntu-tarball
+++ b/elements/ubuntu/root.d/10-cache-ubuntu-tarball
@@ -27,4 +27,6 @@ fi
 # Extract the base image (use --numeric-owner to avoid UID/GID mismatch between
 # image tarball and host OS e.g. when building Ubuntu image on an openSUSE host)
 sudo tar -C $TARGET_ROOT --numeric-owner -xzf $DIB_IMAGE_CACHE/$BASE_IMAGE_FILE
-sudo rmdir $TARGET_ROOT/lost+found
+if [ -e "$TARGET_ROOT/lost+found" ]; then
+  sudo rmdir $TARGET_ROOT/lost+found
+fi