diff --git a/src/tomb b/src/tomb
index 02174d8..135fa5d 100755
--- a/src/tomb
+++ b/src/tomb
@@ -570,7 +570,9 @@ mount_tomb() {
     notice "mounting $tombfile on mountpoint $tombmount"
 
     # we need root from here on
-    mkdir -p $tombmount
+
+    local norm=$(test -d $tombmount)
+    $norm || mkdir -p $tombmount
     
     nstloop=`losetup -f`
     losetup -f ${tombfile}
@@ -580,7 +582,7 @@ mount_tomb() {
     if [ $? != 0 ]; then
  # is it a LUKS encrypted nest? see cryptsetup(1)
 	error "$tombfile is not a valid Luks encrypted storage file"
-	rmdir $tombmount 2>/dev/null
+	$norm || rmdir $tombmount 2>/dev/null
 	return 1
     fi
 	
@@ -624,7 +626,7 @@ mount_tomb() {
     if ! [ -r /dev/mapper/${mapper} ]; then
 	error "failure mounting the encrypted file"
 	losetup -d ${nstloop}
-	rmdir ${tombmount} 2>/dev/null
+	$norm || rmdir ${tombmount} 2>/dev/null
 	return 1
     fi