diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
index bafd05d800..eb49f9910a 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
@@ -16241,8 +16241,9 @@ class LibvirtDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         with test.nested(
                 mock.patch.object(os.path, 'exists'),
                 mock.patch.object(libvirt_utils, 'get_instance_path'),
-                mock.patch.object(utils, 'execute')) as (
-                mock_exists, mock_get_path, mock_exec):
+                mock.patch.object(utils, 'execute'),
+                mock.patch.object(shutil, 'rmtree')) as (
+                mock_exists, mock_get_path, mock_exec, mock_rmtree):
             mock_exists.return_value = True
             mock_get_path.return_value = '/fake/inst'
 
@@ -16250,6 +16251,7 @@ class LibvirtDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
             mock_get_path.assert_called_once_with(ins_ref)
             mock_exec.assert_called_once_with('rm', '-rf', '/fake/inst_resize',
                                               delay_on_retry=True, attempts=5)
+            mock_rmtree.assert_not_called()
 
     def test_cleanup_resize_not_same_host(self):
         CONF.set_override('policy_dirs', [], group='oslo_policy')
@@ -16260,16 +16262,18 @@ class LibvirtDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         drvr = libvirt_driver.LibvirtDriver(fake.FakeVirtAPI(), False)
         drvr.image_backend = mock.Mock()
         drvr.image_backend.by_name.return_value = drvr.image_backend
+        drvr.image_backend.exists.return_value = False
 
         with test.nested(
                 mock.patch.object(os.path, 'exists'),
                 mock.patch.object(libvirt_utils, 'get_instance_path'),
                 mock.patch.object(utils, 'execute'),
+                mock.patch.object(shutil, 'rmtree'),
                 mock.patch.object(drvr, '_undefine_domain'),
                 mock.patch.object(drvr, 'unplug_vifs'),
                 mock.patch.object(drvr, 'unfilter_instance')
-        ) as (mock_exists, mock_get_path, mock_exec, mock_undef,
-              mock_unplug, mock_unfilter):
+        ) as (mock_exists, mock_get_path, mock_exec, mock_rmtree,
+              mock_undef, mock_unplug, mock_unfilter):
             mock_exists.return_value = True
             mock_get_path.return_value = '/fake/inst'
 
@@ -16277,6 +16281,7 @@ class LibvirtDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
             mock_get_path.assert_called_once_with(ins_ref)
             mock_exec.assert_called_once_with('rm', '-rf', '/fake/inst_resize',
                                               delay_on_retry=True, attempts=5)
+            mock_rmtree.assert_called_once_with('/fake/inst')
             mock_undef.assert_called_once_with(ins_ref)
             mock_unplug.assert_called_once_with(ins_ref, fake_net)
             mock_unfilter.assert_called_once_with(ins_ref, fake_net)
@@ -16292,8 +16297,10 @@ class LibvirtDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
                 mock.patch.object(os.path, 'exists'),
                 mock.patch.object(libvirt_utils, 'get_instance_path'),
                 mock.patch.object(utils, 'execute'),
+                mock.patch.object(shutil, 'rmtree'),
                 mock.patch.object(drvr.image_backend, 'remove_snap')) as (
-                mock_exists, mock_get_path, mock_exec, mock_remove):
+                mock_exists, mock_get_path, mock_exec, mock_rmtree,
+                mock_remove):
             mock_exists.return_value = True
             mock_get_path.return_value = '/fake/inst'
 
@@ -16303,6 +16310,7 @@ class LibvirtDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
                                               delay_on_retry=True, attempts=5)
             mock_remove.assert_called_once_with(
                     libvirt_utils.RESIZE_SNAPSHOT_NAME, ignore_errors=True)
+            self.assertFalse(mock_rmtree.called)
 
     def test_cleanup_resize_snap_backend_image_does_not_exist(self):
         CONF.set_override('policy_dirs', [], group='oslo_policy')
@@ -16316,8 +16324,10 @@ class LibvirtDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
                 mock.patch.object(os.path, 'exists'),
                 mock.patch.object(libvirt_utils, 'get_instance_path'),
                 mock.patch.object(utils, 'execute'),
+                mock.patch.object(shutil, 'rmtree'),
                 mock.patch.object(drvr.image_backend, 'remove_snap')) as (
-                mock_exists, mock_get_path, mock_exec, mock_remove):
+                mock_exists, mock_get_path, mock_exec, mock_rmtree,
+                mock_remove):
             mock_exists.return_value = True
             mock_get_path.return_value = '/fake/inst'
 
@@ -16326,6 +16336,7 @@ class LibvirtDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
             mock_exec.assert_called_once_with('rm', '-rf', '/fake/inst_resize',
                                               delay_on_retry=True, attempts=5)
             self.assertFalse(mock_remove.called)
+            mock_rmtree.called_once_with('/fake/inst')
 
     def test_get_instance_disk_info_exception(self):
         instance = self._create_instance()
diff --git a/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py b/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
index 53a4a4075e..c09d8de0a0 100644
--- a/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
+++ b/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
@@ -1098,7 +1098,8 @@ class LibvirtDriver(driver.ComputeDriver):
             host=CONF.host)
 
     def _cleanup_resize(self, instance, network_info):
-        target = libvirt_utils.get_instance_path(instance) + '_resize'
+        inst_base = libvirt_utils.get_instance_path(instance)
+        target = inst_base + '_resize'
 
         if os.path.exists(target):
             # Deletion can fail over NFS, so retry the deletion as required.
@@ -1119,6 +1120,16 @@ class LibvirtDriver(driver.ComputeDriver):
             root_disk.remove_snap(libvirt_utils.RESIZE_SNAPSHOT_NAME,
                                   ignore_errors=True)
 
+        # NOTE(mjozefcz):
+        # self.image_backend.image for some backends recreates instance
+        # directory and image disk.info - remove it here if exists
+        if os.path.exists(inst_base) and not root_disk.exists():
+            try:
+                shutil.rmtree(inst_base)
+            except OSError as e:
+                if e.errno != errno.ENOENT:
+                    raise
+
         if instance.host != CONF.host:
             self._undefine_domain(instance)
             self.unplug_vifs(instance, network_info)