diff --git a/sat/memory/memory.py b/sat/memory/memory.py
index fe4b1093..f1520881 100644
--- a/sat/memory/memory.py
+++ b/sat/memory/memory.py
@@ -1555,7 +1555,12 @@ class Memory(object):
                 raise exceptions.DataError(_("Can't delete directory, it is not empty"))
             # we first delete the sub-files
             for sub_file_data in sub_files:
-                yield self._deleteFile(client, peer_jid, recursive, sub_file_data)
+                if sub_file_data['type'] == C.FILE_TYPE_DIRECTORY:
+                    sub_file_path = files_path / sub_file_data['name']
+                else:
+                    sub_file_path = files_path
+                yield self._deleteFile(
+                    client, peer_jid, recursive, sub_file_path, sub_file_data)
             # then the directory itself
             yield self.storage.fileDelete(file_data['id'])
         elif file_data['type'] == C.FILE_TYPE_FILE:
@@ -1570,7 +1575,10 @@ class Memory(object):
                 file_path = os.path.join(files_path, file_data['file_hash'])
                 log.info(_("no reference left to {file_path}, deleting").format(
                     file_path=file_path))
-                os.unlink(file_path)
+                try:
+                    os.unlink(file_path)
+                except FileNotFoundError:
+                    log.error(f"file at {file_path!r} doesn't exist but it was referenced in files database")
         else:
             raise exceptions.InternalError('Unexpected file type: {file_type}'
                 .format(file_type=file_data['type']))