diff --git a/etc/rc.d/jail b/etc/rc.d/jail
index 5e2c66aa082a..a42e450d2cd1 100755
--- a/etc/rc.d/jail
+++ b/etc/rc.d/jail
@@ -489,7 +489,6 @@ jail_start()
 			if _jid=$($jail_jls -j $_j jid); then
 				echo "$_jid" > /var/run/jail_${_j}.id
 			else
-				rm -f /var/run/jail_${_j}.id
 				echo " cannot start jail " \
 				    "\"${_hostname:-${_j}}\": "
 			fi
@@ -513,7 +512,6 @@ jail_start()
 				_jid=$($jail_jls -j $_j jid)
 				echo $_jid > /var/run/jail_${_j}.id
 			else
-				rm -f /var/run/jail_${_j}.id
 				echo " cannot start jail " \
 				    "\"${_hostname:-${_j}}\": "
 				cat $_tmp