diff --git a/bin/disk-image-create b/bin/disk-image-create
index 61d5c25f6..b65fb13b5 100755
--- a/bin/disk-image-create
+++ b/bin/disk-image-create
@@ -145,6 +145,12 @@ do_extra_package_install
 run_d_in_target install
 run_d_in_target post-install
 prepare_first_boot
+# ensure we do not have a lost+found directory in the root folder
+# that could cause copy to fail (it will be created again later
+# when creating the file system, if it needs such directory)
+if [ -e "$TMP_BUILD_DIR/mnt/lost+found" ]; then
+    sudo rm -rf "$TMP_BUILD_DIR/mnt/lost+found"
+fi
 # Free up /mnt
 unmount_image
 mv $TMP_BUILD_DIR/mnt $TMP_BUILD_DIR/built
diff --git a/elements/opensuse/post-install.d/99-remove-lost-and-found b/elements/opensuse/post-install.d/99-remove-lost-and-found
deleted file mode 100755
index 226f74d23..000000000
--- a/elements/opensuse/post-install.d/99-remove-lost-and-found
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-# ensure we do not have a lost+found directory in the root folder
-# that could cause copy to fail.
-set -eu
-set -o pipefail
-
-rm -rf lost+found
diff --git a/elements/redhat-common/bin/extract-image b/elements/redhat-common/bin/extract-image
index 2f8730d0d..de74915e1 100755
--- a/elements/redhat-common/bin/extract-image
+++ b/elements/redhat-common/bin/extract-image
@@ -95,6 +95,3 @@ fi
 # image tarball and host OS e.g. when building Fedora image on an openSUSE host)
 echo "Extracting base root image from $CACHED_TAR"
 sudo tar -C $TARGET_ROOT --numeric-owner -xzf $CACHED_TAR
-if [ -e "$TARGET_ROOT/lost+found" ]; then
-    sudo rmdir $TARGET_ROOT/lost+found
-fi
diff --git a/elements/rhel/root.d/10-rhel-cloud-image b/elements/rhel/root.d/10-rhel-cloud-image
index 226cb35a4..2867e36aa 100755
--- a/elements/rhel/root.d/10-rhel-cloud-image
+++ b/elements/rhel/root.d/10-rhel-cloud-image
@@ -55,6 +55,3 @@ fi
 # Extract the base image (use --numeric-owner to avoid UID/GID mismatch between
 # image tarball and host OS e.g. when building RHEL image on an openSUSE host)
 sudo tar -C $TARGET_ROOT --numeric-owner -xzf $DIB_IMAGE_CACHE/$BASE_IMAGE_TAR
-if [ -e "$TARGET_ROOT/lost+found" ]; then
-    sudo rmdir $TARGET_ROOT/lost+found
-fi
diff --git a/elements/ubuntu/root.d/10-cache-ubuntu-tarball b/elements/ubuntu/root.d/10-cache-ubuntu-tarball
index 3c4990b66..3bc9c3ff8 100755
--- a/elements/ubuntu/root.d/10-cache-ubuntu-tarball
+++ b/elements/ubuntu/root.d/10-cache-ubuntu-tarball
@@ -45,9 +45,6 @@ function get_ubuntu_tarball() {
     # Extract the base image (use --numeric-owner to avoid UID/GID mismatch between
     # image tarball and host OS e.g. when building Ubuntu image on an openSUSE host)
     sudo tar -C $TARGET_ROOT --numeric-owner -xzf $DIB_IMAGE_CACHE/$BASE_IMAGE_FILE
-    if [ -e "$TARGET_ROOT/lost+found" ]; then
-        sudo rmdir $TARGET_ROOT/lost+found
-    fi
 }
 
 (