# 
# patch "file_io.cc"
#  from [c328d2b14c072a853193222e836c5c4346a5f7c0]
#    to [23eddf8c6fbb41be5f69ad4d38418ab0cc165d3c]
# 
# patch "file_io.hh"
#  from [8a8dcea0d9950cfcad01cb28c34690d09ee53d83]
#    to [62d02358ee6b7b6ba7c4dd93d4f7d387d4e1bf6b]
# 
========================================================================
--- file_io.cc	c328d2b14c072a853193222e836c5c4346a5f7c0
+++ file_io.cc	23eddf8c6fbb41be5f69ad4d38418ab0cc165d3c
@@ -206,15 +206,47 @@
     }
 }
 
+static void
+do_shallow_deletion_with_sane_error_message(any_path const & p)
+{
+  fs::path fp = mkdir(p);
+  try
+    {
+      fs::remove(fp);
+    }
+  catch (fs::filesystem_error & err)
+    {
+      E(false, F("could not remove '%s'\n%s")
+        % err.path1().native_directory_string()
+        % strerror(err.native_error()));
+    }
+}
+
 void 
 delete_file(any_path const & p) 
 { 
   require_path_is_file(p,
                        F("file to delete '%s' does not exist") % p,
                        F("file to delete, '%s', is not a file but a directory") % p);
-  fs::remove(mkdir(p)); 
+  do_shallow_deletion_with_sane_error_message(p);
 }
 
+void
+delete_dir_shallow(any_path const & p)
+{
+  require_path_is_dir(p,
+                      F("directory to delete '%s' does not exist") % p,
+                      F("directory to delete, '%s', is not a directory but a file") % p);
+  do_shallow_deletion_with_sane_error_message(p);
+}
+
+void
+delete_file_or_dir_shallow(any_path const & p)
+{
+  N(path_exists(p), F("object to delete, '%s', does not exist") % p);
+  do_shallow_deletion_with_sane_error_message(p);
+}
+
 void 
 delete_dir_recursive(any_path const & p) 
 { 
========================================================================
--- file_io.hh	8a8dcea0d9950cfcad01cb28c34690d09ee53d83
+++ file_io.hh	62d02358ee6b7b6ba7c4dd93d4f7d387d4e1bf6b
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@
 void make_dir_for(any_path const & p);
 
 void delete_file(any_path const & path);
+void delete_dir_shallow(any_path const & path);
+void delete_file_or_dir_shallow(any_path const & path);
 void delete_dir_recursive(any_path const & path);
 
 void move_file(any_path const & old_path,