diff --git a/sstables/sstables.cc b/sstables/sstables.cc
index 5264ff6ae389..d098d805644e 100644
--- a/sstables/sstables.cc
+++ b/sstables/sstables.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 #include <seastar/core/byteorder.hh>
 #include <seastar/core/aligned_buffer.hh>
 #include <seastar/core/metrics.hh>
+#include <seastar/core/reactor.hh>
+#include <seastar/util/file.hh>
 #include <seastar/util/closeable.hh>
 #include <iterator>
 #include <seastar/core/coroutine.hh>
@@ -2462,6 +2464,7 @@ future<> sstable::close_files() {
     }
 
     auto unlinked = make_ready_future<>();
+    auto unlinked_temp_dir = make_ready_future<>();
     if (_marked_for_deletion != mark_for_deletion::none) {
         // If a deletion fails for some reason we
         // log and ignore this failure, because on startup we'll again try to
@@ -2481,11 +2484,24 @@ future<> sstable::close_files() {
             sstlog.warn("Exception when deleting sstable file: {}", std::current_exception());
         }
 
+        if (_temp_dir) {
+            try {
+                unlinked_temp_dir = recursive_remove_directory(fs::path(*_temp_dir)).then_wrapped([this] (future<> f) {
+                    if (f.failed()) {
+                        sstlog.warn("Exception when deleting temporary sstable directory {}: {}", *_temp_dir, f.get_exception());
+                    } else {
+                        _temp_dir.reset();
+                    }
+                });
+            } catch (...) {
+                sstlog.warn("Exception when deleting temporary sstable directory {}: {}", *_temp_dir, std::current_exception());
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     _on_closed(*this);
 
-    return when_all_succeed(std::move(index_closed), std::move(data_closed), std::move(unlinked)).discard_result().then([this] {
+    return when_all_succeed(std::move(index_closed), std::move(data_closed), std::move(unlinked), std::move(unlinked_temp_dir)).discard_result().then([this, me = shared_from_this()] {
         if (_open_mode) {
             if (_open_mode.value() == open_flags::ro) {
                 _stats.on_close_for_reading();