diff --git a/transfer_service/cleaner.py b/transfer_service/cleaner.py
index d656063d532cc3e75aab469840b7eb710f2ac6ae..2577ac10f941bae0e7c96cde6d779ca78171531f 100644
--- a/transfer_service/cleaner.py
+++ b/transfer_service/cleaner.py
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ fileList = dbConn.getNodesToBeDeleted()
 basePaths = []
 for row in fileList:
     basePath = row["os_base_path"]
-    relPath = row["os_rel_path"]    
+    relPath = row["os_rel_path"]
     filePath = basePath + relPath
     dTime = row["deleted_on"]
     cTime = datetime.datetime.now()
     phyDeletedTstamp = row["phy_deleted_on"]
     nodeId = row["node_id"]
     delta = cTime - dTime
-    if delta.days >= days and delta.seconds > seconds and phyDeletedTstamp is None:                
+    if delta.days >= days and delta.seconds > seconds and phyDeletedTstamp is None:
         os.remove(filePath)
         print(datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S") + ' ' + filePath)
         dbConn.setPhyDeletedOn(nodeId)
@@ -47,10 +47,12 @@ for row in fileList:
             basePaths.append(basePath)
 
 for basePath in basePaths:
-    for root, dir, files in os.walk(basePath, topdown = False):
-        if root != basePath and not os.listdir(root):
-            os.rmdir(root)
-            print(datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S") + ' ' + root)
+    for root, dirs, files in os.walk(basePath, topdown = False):
+        for dir in dirs:
+            dirPath = os.path.abspath(root) + '/' + dir
+            if not os.listdir(dirPath):
+                os.rmdir(dirPath)
+                print(datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S") + ' ' + dirPath)
 
 # 1) delete files and update the db
 # 2) check for empty dirs and delete them if different from rootPath