diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h b/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h
index 6e085d853..f4a21706b 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ uint32_t pv_list_extents_free(const struct dm_list *pvh);
 
 vg_t *vg_create(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *vg_name);
 int vg_remove(struct volume_group *vg);
-int vg_remove_single(vg_t *vg, force_t force);
+int vg_remove_single(vg_t *vg);
 int vg_rename(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct volume_group *vg,
 	      const char *new_name);
 int vg_extend(struct volume_group *vg, int pv_count, char **pv_names);
@@ -436,6 +436,10 @@ int vg_set_alloc_policy(vg_t *vg, alloc_policy_t alloc);
 int vg_split_mdas(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct volume_group *vg_from,
 		  struct volume_group *vg_to);
 
+/* FIXME: refactor / unexport when lvremove liblvm refactoring dones */
+int remove_lvs_in_vg(struct cmd_context *cmd,
+		     struct volume_group *vg,
+		     force_t force);
 /*
  * vg_release() must be called on every struct volume_group allocated
  * by vg_create() or vg_read_internal() to free it when no longer required.
diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadata.c b/lib/metadata/metadata.c
index ea198b0ba..9b1942142 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadata.c
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadata.c
@@ -343,9 +343,9 @@ int vg_rename(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct volume_group *vg,
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static int remove_lvs_in_vg(struct cmd_context *cmd,
-			    struct volume_group *vg,
-			    force_t force)
+int remove_lvs_in_vg(struct cmd_context *cmd,
+		     struct volume_group *vg,
+		     force_t force)
 {
 	struct dm_list *lst;
 	struct lv_list *lvl;
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ static int remove_lvs_in_vg(struct cmd_context *cmd,
 	return 1;
 }
 
-int vg_remove_single(vg_t *vg, force_t force)
+int vg_remove_single(vg_t *vg)
 {
 	struct physical_volume *pv;
 	struct pv_list *pvl;
@@ -379,21 +379,6 @@ int vg_remove_single(vg_t *vg, force_t force)
 
 	lv_count = vg_visible_lvs(vg);
 
-	if (lv_count) {
-		if ((force == PROMPT) &&
-		    (yes_no_prompt("Do you really want to remove volume "
-				   "group \"%s\" containing %u "
-				   "logical volumes? [y/n]: ",
-				   vg->name, lv_count) == 'n')) {
-			log_print("Volume group \"%s\" not removed", vg_name);
-			return 0;
-		}
-		if (!remove_lvs_in_vg(vg->cmd, vg, force))
-			return 0;
-	}
-
-	lv_count = vg_visible_lvs(vg);
-
 	if (lv_count) {
 		log_error("Volume group \"%s\" still contains %u "
 			  "logical volume(s)", vg->name, lv_count);
diff --git a/tools/vgremove.c b/tools/vgremove.c
index 8977ea529..1bfff1e8d 100644
--- a/tools/vgremove.c
+++ b/tools/vgremove.c
@@ -19,7 +19,29 @@ static int vgremove_single(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *vg_name,
 			   struct volume_group *vg,
 			   void *handle __attribute((unused)))
 {
-	if (!vg_remove_single(vg, arg_count(cmd, force_ARG)))
+	unsigned lv_count;
+	force_t force;
+
+	if (!vg_check_status(vg, EXPORTED_VG))
+		return ECMD_FAILED;
+
+	lv_count = vg_visible_lvs(vg);
+
+	force = arg_count(cmd, force_ARG);
+	if (lv_count) {
+		if ((force == PROMPT) &&
+		    (yes_no_prompt("Do you really want to remove volume "
+				   "group \"%s\" containing %u "
+				   "logical volumes? [y/n]: ",
+				   vg_name, lv_count) == 'n')) {
+			log_print("Volume group \"%s\" not removed", vg_name);
+			return ECMD_FAILED;
+		}
+		if (!remove_lvs_in_vg(cmd, vg, force))
+			return ECMD_FAILED;
+	}
+
+	if (!vg_remove_single(vg))
 		return ECMD_FAILED;
 
 	return ECMD_PROCESSED;