diff --git a/scripts/exglobal_cleanup.sh b/scripts/exglobal_cleanup.sh
index 75b1f927bc..73637a0d55 100755
--- a/scripts/exglobal_cleanup.sh
+++ b/scripts/exglobal_cleanup.sh
@@ -11,14 +11,6 @@ DATAfcst="${DATAROOT}/${RUN}fcst.${PDY:-}${cyc}"
 if [[ -d "${DATAfcst}" ]]; then rm -rf "${DATAfcst}"; fi
 #DATAefcs="${DATAROOT}/${RUN}efcs???${PDY:-}${cyc}"
 rm -rf "${DATAROOT}/${RUN}efcs"*"${PDY:-}${cyc}"
-
-# In XML, DATAROOT is defined as:
-#DATAROOT="${STMP}/RUNDIRS/${PSLOT}/${RUN}.${PDY}${cyc}"
-# cleanup is only executed after the entire cycle is successfully completed.
-# removing DATAROOT should be possible if that is the case.
-rm -rf "${DATAROOT}"
-
-echo "Cleanup ${DATAROOT} completed!"
 ###############################################################
 
 if [[ "${CLEANUP_COM:-YES}" == NO ]] ; then
@@ -49,10 +41,10 @@ function remove_files() {
     find_exclude_string="${find_exclude_string[*]/%-or}"
     # Remove all regular files that do not match
     # shellcheck disable=SC2086
-    find "${directory}" -type f -not \( ${find_exclude_string} \) -delete
+    find "${directory}" -type f -not \( ${find_exclude_string} \) -ignore_readdir_race -delete
     # Remove all symlinks that do not match
     # shellcheck disable=SC2086
-    find "${directory}" -type l -not \( ${find_exclude_string} \) -delete
+    find "${directory}" -type l -not \( ${find_exclude_string} \) -ignore_readdir_race -delete
     # Remove any empty directories
     find "${directory}" -type d -empty -delete
 }
@@ -113,3 +105,16 @@ if (( GDATE < RDATE )); then
 fi
 deletion_target="${ROTDIR}/${RUN}.${RDATE:0:8}"
 if [[ -d ${deletion_target} ]]; then rm -rf "${deletion_target}"; fi
+
+# sync and wait to avoid filesystem synchronization issues
+sync && sleep 1
+
+# Finally, delete DATAROOT.
+# This will also delete the working directory, so save it until the end.
+# In XML, DATAROOT is defined as:
+#DATAROOT="${STMP}/RUNDIRS/${PSLOT}/${RUN}.${PDY}${cyc}"
+# cleanup is only executed after the entire cycle is successfully completed.
+# removing DATAROOT should be possible if that is the case.
+rm -rf "${DATAROOT}"
+
+echo "Cleanup ${DATAROOT} completed!"