diff --git a/core/commands/files.go b/core/commands/files.go
index 36ba60e2cdb..e568657d644 100644
--- a/core/commands/files.go
+++ b/core/commands/files.go
@@ -17,14 +17,14 @@ import (
 	bservice "github.com/ipfs/go-blockservice"
 	cid "github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
 	cidenc "github.com/ipfs/go-cidutil/cidenc"
-	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-cmds"
-	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-exchange-offline"
+	cmds "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-cmds"
+	offline "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-exchange-offline"
 	ipld "github.com/ipfs/go-ipld-format"
 	logging "github.com/ipfs/go-log"
 	dag "github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag"
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-mfs"
 	ft "github.com/ipfs/go-unixfs"
-	"github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core"
+	iface "github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core"
 	path "github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core/path"
 	mh "github.com/multiformats/go-multihash"
 )
@@ -997,26 +997,28 @@ Remove files or directories.
 			path = path[:len(path)-1]
 		}
 
+		// if '--force' specified, it will remove anything else,
+		// including file, directory, corrupted node, etc
+		force, _ := req.Options[forceOptionName].(bool)
+
 		dir, name := gopath.Split(path)
-		parent, err := mfs.Lookup(nd.FilesRoot, dir)
+
+		pdir, err := getParentDir(nd.FilesRoot, dir)
 		if err != nil {
+			if force && err == os.ErrNotExist {
+				return nil
+			}
 			return fmt.Errorf("parent lookup: %s", err)
 		}
 
-		pdir, ok := parent.(*mfs.Directory)
-		if !ok {
-			return fmt.Errorf("no such file or directory: %s", path)
-		}
-
-		// if '--force' specified, it will remove anything else,
-		// including file, directory, corrupted node, etc
-		force, _ := req.Options[forceOptionName].(bool)
 		if force {
 			err := pdir.Unlink(name)
 			if err != nil {
+				if err == os.ErrNotExist {
+					return nil
+				}
 				return err
 			}
-
 			return pdir.Flush()
 		}
 
@@ -1133,15 +1135,11 @@ func getFileHandle(r *mfs.Root, path string, create bool, builder cid.Builder) (
 
 		// if create is specified and the file doesnt exist, we create the file
 		dirname, fname := gopath.Split(path)
-		pdiri, err := mfs.Lookup(r, dirname)
+		pdir, err := getParentDir(r, dirname)
 		if err != nil {
-			flog.Error("lookupfail ", dirname)
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		pdir, ok := pdiri.(*mfs.Directory)
-		if !ok {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s was not a directory", dirname)
-		}
+
 		if builder == nil {
 			builder = pdir.GetCidBuilder()
 		}
@@ -1184,3 +1182,16 @@ func checkPath(p string) (string, error) {
 	}
 	return cleaned, nil
 }
+
+func getParentDir(root *mfs.Root, dir string) (*mfs.Directory, error) {
+	parent, err := mfs.Lookup(root, dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	pdir, ok := parent.(*mfs.Directory)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, errors.New("expected *mfs.Directory, didnt get it. This is likely a race condition")
+	}
+	return pdir, nil
+}
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0250-files-api.sh b/test/sharness/t0250-files-api.sh
index 24980966a72..aa6c3e4457f 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0250-files-api.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0250-files-api.sh
@@ -683,6 +683,14 @@ test_files_api() {
     ipfs files rm --force /forcibly-dir &&
     verify_dir_contents /
   '
+
+  test_expect_success "remove nonexistant path forcibly" '
+    ipfs files rm --force /nonexistant
+  '
+
+  test_expect_success "remove deeply nonexistant path forcibly" '
+    ipfs files rm --force /deeply/nonexistant
+  '
 }
 
 # test offline and online