diff --git a/tests/rules/test_dirty_untar.py b/tests/rules/test_dirty_untar.py
index 9b2e4aee..c854ea7c 100644
--- a/tests/rules/test_dirty_untar.py
+++ b/tests/rules/test_dirty_untar.py
@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@ def tar_error(tmpdir):
         path = os.path.join(str(tmpdir), filename)
 
         def reset(path):
+            os.mkdir('d')
             with tarfile.TarFile(path, 'w') as archive:
-                for file in ('a', 'b', 'c'):
+                for file in ('a', 'b', 'c', 'd/e'):
                     with open(file, 'w') as f:
                         f.write('*')
 
@@ -26,7 +27,8 @@ def tar_error(tmpdir):
         os.chdir(str(tmpdir))
         reset(path)
 
-        assert(set(os.listdir('.')) == {filename, 'a', 'b', 'c'})
+        assert set(os.listdir('.')) == {filename, 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd'}
+        assert set(os.listdir('./d')) == {'e'}
 
     return fixture
 
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ def test_match(tar_error, filename, script, fixed):
 def test_side_effect(tar_error, filename, script, fixed):
     tar_error(filename)
     side_effect(Command(script=script.format(filename)), None, None)
-    assert(os.listdir('.') == [filename])
+    assert set(os.listdir('.')) == {filename, 'd'}
 
 
 @parametrize_filename
diff --git a/tests/rules/test_dirty_unzip.py b/tests/rules/test_dirty_unzip.py
index 74dabf3f..ca20db04 100644
--- a/tests/rules/test_dirty_unzip.py
+++ b/tests/rules/test_dirty_unzip.py
@@ -15,12 +15,15 @@ def zip_error(tmpdir):
             archive.writestr('b', '2')
             archive.writestr('c', '3')
 
+            archive.writestr('d/e', '4')
+
             archive.extractall()
 
     os.chdir(str(tmpdir))
     reset(path)
 
-    assert(set(os.listdir('.')) == {'foo.zip', 'a', 'b', 'c'})
+    assert set(os.listdir('.')) == {'foo.zip', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd'}
+    assert set(os.listdir('./d')) == {'e'}
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('script', [
@@ -35,7 +38,7 @@ def test_match(zip_error, script):
     'unzip foo.zip'])
 def test_side_effect(zip_error, script):
     side_effect(Command(script=script), None, None)
-    assert(os.listdir('.') == ['foo.zip'])
+    assert set(os.listdir('.')) == {'foo.zip', 'd'}
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('script,fixed', [
diff --git a/thefuck/rules/dirty_untar.py b/thefuck/rules/dirty_untar.py
index 4fdf4cf6..7b9bdcf4 100644
--- a/thefuck/rules/dirty_untar.py
+++ b/thefuck/rules/dirty_untar.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-import os
 import tarfile
+import os
 from thefuck import shells
 from thefuck.utils import for_app
 
@@ -39,4 +39,9 @@ def get_new_command(command, settings):
 def side_effect(old_cmd, command, settings):
     with tarfile.TarFile(_tar_file(old_cmd.script)[0]) as archive:
         for file in archive.getnames():
-            os.remove(file)
+            try:
+                os.remove(file)
+            except OSError:
+                # does not try to remove directories as we cannot know if they
+                # already existed before
+                pass
diff --git a/thefuck/rules/dirty_unzip.py b/thefuck/rules/dirty_unzip.py
index bd2d5945..26a42c9b 100644
--- a/thefuck/rules/dirty_unzip.py
+++ b/thefuck/rules/dirty_unzip.py
@@ -34,7 +34,12 @@ def get_new_command(command, settings):
 def side_effect(old_cmd, command, settings):
     with zipfile.ZipFile(_zip_file(old_cmd), 'r') as archive:
         for file in archive.namelist():
-            os.remove(file)
+            try:
+                os.remove(file)
+            except OSError:
+                # does not try to remove directories as we cannot know if they
+                # already existed before
+                pass
 
 
 requires_output = False