diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/data/transfer/service/transfers/engine/impl/PersistenceProviderImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/data/transfer/service/transfers/engine/impl/PersistenceProviderImpl.java
index 75ffc32..55988ce 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/data/transfer/service/transfers/engine/impl/PersistenceProviderImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/data/transfer/service/transfers/engine/impl/PersistenceProviderImpl.java
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package org.gcube.data.transfer.service.transfers.engine.impl;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
-import java.nio.file.Paths;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Set;
 
@@ -126,8 +125,8 @@ public class PersistenceProviderImpl implements PersistenceProvider {
 				break;
 			}
 			case FAIL: throw new DestinationAccessException("Found existing "+clashing.getAbsolutePath()+"policy is "+policy); 
-			case REWRITE : {
-				Files.deleteIfExists(Paths.get(clashing.getAbsolutePath()));			
+			case REWRITE : {				
+				deleteRecursively(clashing);			
 				if(dir)clashing.mkdirs();
 				else clashing.createNewFile();
 				break;
@@ -138,4 +137,13 @@ public class PersistenceProviderImpl implements PersistenceProvider {
 		}
 		return clashing;
 	}
+	
+	
+	private static final void deleteRecursively(File toDelete) throws IOException {
+		log.warn("Recursively deleting {} ",toDelete.getAbsolutePath());
+		if(toDelete.isDirectory()) {
+			for(File child:toDelete.listFiles())
+				deleteRecursively(child);
+		}else Files.deleteIfExists(toDelete.toPath());
+	}
 }