diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/runtime/DesktopCatalog.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/runtime/DesktopCatalog.kt
index ac1b87e7a..20714b552 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/runtime/DesktopCatalog.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/runtime/DesktopCatalog.kt
@@ -134,12 +134,13 @@ object DesktopCatalog {
     internal fun discardDesktopInstall(context: Context) {
         val entry = interrupted(context).firstOrNull { it.id == DESKTOP_ID }
         val journal = journal(LinuxRuntime.rootDir(context), DESKTOP_ID)
-        check(!journal.exists() || journal.delete()) { "Could not clear desktop installation" }
         entry?.let {
             val download = downloadFile(context, it)
-            download.delete()
-            File(download.path + ".resume.properties").delete()
+            for (file in listOf(download, File(download.path + ".resume.properties"))) {
+                check(!file.exists() || file.delete()) { "Could not remove desktop download ${file.name}" }
+            }
         }
+        check(!journal.exists() || journal.delete()) { "Could not clear desktop installation" }
     }
 
     fun install(context: Context, entry: Entry, listener: LinuxRuntimeInstaller.ProgressListener?): String? = synchronized(installLock) {
diff --git a/app/src/test/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/runtime/DesktopRemovalTest.kt b/app/src/test/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/runtime/DesktopRemovalTest.kt
index 9184a7ff3..250a65535 100644
--- a/app/src/test/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/runtime/DesktopRemovalTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/runtime/DesktopRemovalTest.kt
@@ -87,6 +87,26 @@ class DesktopRemovalTest {
         assertTrue(Files.isSymbolicLink(desktop.toPath()))
     }
 
+    @Test fun failedDownloadCleanupKeepsTheInstallRecordSoRemovalCanRetry() {
+        val entry = DesktopCatalog.desktopEntry(context)
+        val download = File(context.cacheDir, "pkg-${entry.id}-${entry.sha256.take(12)}.download")
+        for (blocked in listOf(download, File(download.path + ".resume.properties"))) {
+            desktopFiles()
+            journal.writeText(DesktopCatalog.entryJson(entry).toString())
+            blocked.mkdirs()
+            val blocker = File(blocked, "blocker").apply { writeText("fixture") }
+
+            assertNotNull(DesktopCatalog.removeDesktop(context, listener))
+            assertTrue(journal.exists())
+            assertTrue(pending.exists())
+            assertTrue(blocker.delete())
+            assertNull(DesktopCatalog.removeDesktop(context, listener))
+            assertFalse(blocked.exists())
+            assertFalse(journal.exists())
+            assertFalse(pending.exists())
+        }
+    }
+
     private fun file(path: String, text: String) = File(root, path).apply { parentFile!!.mkdirs(); writeText(text) }
 
     private fun desktopFiles(): File {