diff --git a/libbb/remove_file.c b/libbb/remove_file.c
index ab159a481..3aaaef8c7 100644
--- a/libbb/remove_file.c
+++ b/libbb/remove_file.c
@@ -7,32 +7,17 @@
  * Licensed under GPLv2 or later, see file LICENSE in this tarball for details.
  */
 
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <time.h>
-#include <utime.h>
-#include <dirent.h>
-#include <errno.h>
-#include <unistd.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <getopt.h>
 #include "libbb.h"
 
 int remove_file(const char *path, int flags)
 {
 	struct stat path_stat;
-	int path_exists = 1;
 
 	if (lstat(path, &path_stat) < 0) {
 		if (errno != ENOENT) {
 			bb_perror_msg("cannot stat '%s'", path);
 			return -1;
 		}
-
-		path_exists = 0;
-	}
-
-	if (!path_exists) {
 		if (!(flags & FILEUTILS_FORCE)) {
 			bb_perror_msg("cannot remove '%s'", path);
 			return -1;
@@ -50,16 +35,17 @@ int remove_file(const char *path, int flags)
 			return -1;
 		}
 
-		if ((!(flags & FILEUTILS_FORCE) && access(path, W_OK) < 0 &&
-					isatty(0)) ||
-				(flags & FILEUTILS_INTERACTIVE)) {
+		if ((!(flags & FILEUTILS_FORCE) && access(path, W_OK) < 0 && isatty(0))
+		 || (flags & FILEUTILS_INTERACTIVE)
+		) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "%s: descend into directory '%s'? ", applet_name,
 					path);
 			if (!bb_ask_confirmation())
 				return 0;
 		}
 
-		if ((dp = opendir(path)) == NULL) {
+		dp = opendir(path);
+		if (dp == NULL) {
 			return -1;
 		}
 
@@ -67,7 +53,7 @@ int remove_file(const char *path, int flags)
 			char *new_path;
 
 			new_path = concat_subpath_file(path, d->d_name);
-			if(new_path == NULL)
+			if (new_path == NULL)
 				continue;
 			if (remove_file(new_path, flags) < 0)
 				status = -1;
@@ -91,21 +77,22 @@ int remove_file(const char *path, int flags)
 		}
 
 		return status;
-	} else {
-		if ((!(flags & FILEUTILS_FORCE) && access(path, W_OK) < 0 &&
-					!S_ISLNK(path_stat.st_mode) &&
-					isatty(0)) ||
-				(flags & FILEUTILS_INTERACTIVE)) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "%s: remove '%s'? ", applet_name, path);
-			if (!bb_ask_confirmation())
-				return 0;
-		}
-
-		if (unlink(path) < 0) {
-			bb_perror_msg("cannot remove '%s'", path);
-			return -1;
-		}
-
-		return 0;
 	}
+
+	/* !ISDIR */
+	if ((!(flags & FILEUTILS_FORCE) && access(path, W_OK) < 0
+			&& !S_ISLNK(path_stat.st_mode) && isatty(0))
+	 || (flags & FILEUTILS_INTERACTIVE)
+	) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s: remove '%s'? ", applet_name, path);
+		if (!bb_ask_confirmation())
+			return 0;
+	}
+
+	if (unlink(path) < 0) {
+		bb_perror_msg("cannot remove '%s'", path);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
 }