diff -up createrepo-0.9.9/createrepo/__init__.py.orig createrepo-0.9.9/createrepo/__init__.py
--- createrepo-0.9.9/createrepo/__init__.py.orig	2017-02-20 14:53:58.885997101 +0100
+++ createrepo-0.9.9/createrepo/__init__.py	2017-02-20 14:54:06.242935946 +0100
@@ -1221,19 +1221,19 @@ class MetaDataGenerator:
                     msg = _('Could not restore old non-metadata file: %s -> %s') % (oldfile, finalfile)
                     msg += _('Error was %s') % e
                     raise MDError, msg
+        self._write_out_read_pkgs_list()
+
 
+    def cleanup(self):
         self._cleanup_tmp_repodata_dir()
-        self._cleanup_update_tmp_dir()        
-        self._write_out_read_pkgs_list()
+        self._cleanup_update_tmp_dir()
 
 
     def _cleanup_update_tmp_dir(self):
-        if not self.conf.update:
-            return
-        
-        shutil.rmtree(self.oldData._repo.basecachedir, ignore_errors=True)
-        shutil.rmtree(self.oldData._repo.base_persistdir, ignore_errors=True)
-        
+        if self.conf.update and hasattr(self, 'oldData'):
+            self.oldData.cleanup()
+
+
     def _write_out_read_pkgs_list(self):
         # write out the read_pkgs_list file with self.read_pkgs
         if self.conf.read_pkgs_list:
diff -up createrepo-0.9.9/createrepo/merge.py.orig createrepo-0.9.9/createrepo/merge.py
--- createrepo-0.9.9/createrepo/merge.py.orig	2017-02-20 14:53:58.884997110 +0100
+++ createrepo-0.9.9/createrepo/merge.py	2017-02-20 14:54:06.241935954 +0100
@@ -146,3 +146,4 @@ class RepoMergeBase:
         mdgen.doPkgMetadata()
         mdgen.doRepoMetadata()
         mdgen.doFinalMove()
+        mdgen.cleanup()
diff -up createrepo-0.9.9/createrepo/readMetadata.py.orig createrepo-0.9.9/createrepo/readMetadata.py
--- createrepo-0.9.9/createrepo/readMetadata.py.orig	2017-02-20 14:53:58.877997168 +0100
+++ createrepo-0.9.9/createrepo/readMetadata.py	2017-02-20 14:54:06.241935954 +0100
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 # Copyright 2006 Red Hat
 
 import os
+import shutil
 import stat
 from utils import errorprint, _
 
@@ -109,7 +110,11 @@ class MetadataIndex(object):
             return self._repo.sack.searchPkgTuple(pkgtup)[0]
         return None
 
-    
+    def cleanup(self):
+        """Delete temporary files in /var/tmp."""
+        shutil.rmtree(self._repo.basecachedir, ignore_errors=True)
+        shutil.rmtree(self._repo.base_persistdir, ignore_errors=True)
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     cwd = os.getcwd()
@@ -122,4 +127,5 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         print po.xml_dump_primary_metadata()
         print po.xml_dump_filelists_metadata()
         print po.xml_dump_other_metadata()
+    idx.cleanup()
 
diff -up createrepo-0.9.9/genpkgmetadata.py.orig createrepo-0.9.9/genpkgmetadata.py
--- createrepo-0.9.9/genpkgmetadata.py.orig	2017-02-20 14:53:58.889997068 +0100
+++ createrepo-0.9.9/genpkgmetadata.py	2017-02-20 14:54:06.241935954 +0100
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ def main(args):
         print ('start time: %0.3f' % (time.time() - start_st))
 
     mid_st = time.time()
+    mdgen = None
     try:
         if conf.split:
             mdgen = createrepo.SplitMetaDataGenerator(config_obj=conf,
@@ -277,12 +278,25 @@ def main(args):
         mdgen.doFinalMove()
         if conf.profile:
             print ('fm time: %0.3f' % (time.time() - fm_st))
+        cl_st = time.time()
+        mdgen.cleanup()
+        if conf.profile:
+            print ('cl time: %0.3f' % (time.time() - cl_st))
 
 
     except MDError, errormsg:
         errorprint(_('%s') % errormsg)
+        # cleanup
+        tmp = os.path.join(conf.outputdir, conf.tempdir)
+        if os.path.exists(tmp):
+            for name in os.listdir(tmp):
+                os.unlink(os.path.join(tmp, name))
+            os.rmdir(tmp)
         sys.exit(1)
 
+    finally:
+        if mdgen:
+            mdgen.cleanup()
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     if len(sys.argv) > 1: