diff --git a/source3/modules/vfs_streams_depot.c b/source3/modules/vfs_streams_depot.c
index 83c9d9743ae..d874514bf22 100644
--- a/source3/modules/vfs_streams_depot.c
+++ b/source3/modules/vfs_streams_depot.c
@@ -725,8 +725,12 @@ static int streams_depot_unlink(vfs_handle_struct *handle,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	ret = SMB_VFS_NEXT_UNLINK(handle, smb_fname);
-	if (ret == 0) {
+	/*
+	 * We know the unlink should succeed as the ACL
+	 * check is already done in the caller. Remove the
+	 * file *after* the streams.
+	 */
+	{
 		char *dirname = stream_dir(handle, smb_fname_base,
 					   &smb_fname_base->st, false);
 
@@ -749,6 +753,7 @@ static int streams_depot_unlink(vfs_handle_struct *handle,
 		TALLOC_FREE(dirname);
 	}
 
+	ret = SMB_VFS_NEXT_UNLINK(handle, smb_fname);
 	TALLOC_FREE(smb_fname_base);
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -787,8 +792,12 @@ static int streams_depot_rmdir(vfs_handle_struct *handle,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	ret = SMB_VFS_NEXT_RMDIR(handle, smb_fname_base);
-	if (ret == 0) {
+	/*
+	 * We know the rmdir should succeed as the ACL
+	 * check is already done in the caller. Remove the
+	 * directory *after* the streams.
+	 */
+	{
 		char *dirname = stream_dir(handle, smb_fname_base,
 					   &smb_fname_base->st, false);
 
@@ -811,6 +820,7 @@ static int streams_depot_rmdir(vfs_handle_struct *handle,
 		TALLOC_FREE(dirname);
 	}
 
+	ret = SMB_VFS_NEXT_RMDIR(handle, smb_fname_base);
 	TALLOC_FREE(smb_fname_base);
 	return ret;
 }