diff --git a/internal/servers/hls/muxer_instance.go b/internal/servers/hls/muxer_instance.go
index 8b1a408d..1c512e5f 100644
--- a/internal/servers/hls/muxer_instance.go
+++ b/internal/servers/hls/muxer_instance.go
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ func (mi *muxerInstance) initialize() error {
 	if mi.directory != "" {
 		muxerDirectory = filepath.Join(mi.directory, mi.pathName)
 		os.MkdirAll(muxerDirectory, 0o755)
-		defer os.Remove(muxerDirectory)
 	}
 
 	mi.hmuxer = &gohlslib.Muxer{
@@ -91,6 +90,9 @@ func (mi *muxerInstance) close() {
 	mi.writer.Stop()
 	mi.hmuxer.Close()
 	mi.stream.RemoveReader(mi.writer)
+	if mi.hmuxer.Directory != "" {
+		os.Remove(mi.hmuxer.Directory)
+	}
 }
 
 func (mi *muxerInstance) createVideoTrack() *gohlslib.Track {
diff --git a/internal/servers/hls/server_test.go b/internal/servers/hls/server_test.go
index 31dc0dd4..e0c4548b 100644
--- a/internal/servers/hls/server_test.go
+++ b/internal/servers/hls/server_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package hls
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -293,3 +295,51 @@ func TestServerRead(t *testing.T) {
 		<-recv
 	})
 }
+
+func TestDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "mediamtx-playback")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	desc := &description.Session{Medias: []*description.Media{test.MediaH264}}
+
+	stream, err := stream.New(
+		1460,
+		desc,
+		true,
+		test.NilLogger{},
+	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	pathManager := &dummyPathManager{stream: stream}
+
+	s := &Server{
+		Address:         "127.0.0.1:8888",
+		Encryption:      false,
+		ServerKey:       "",
+		ServerCert:      "",
+		AlwaysRemux:     true,
+		Variant:         conf.HLSVariant(gohlslib.MuxerVariantMPEGTS),
+		SegmentCount:    7,
+		SegmentDuration: conf.StringDuration(1 * time.Second),
+		PartDuration:    conf.StringDuration(200 * time.Millisecond),
+		SegmentMaxSize:  50 * 1024 * 1024,
+		AllowOrigin:     "",
+		TrustedProxies:  conf.IPNetworks{},
+		Directory:       filepath.Join(dir, "mydir"),
+		ReadTimeout:     conf.StringDuration(10 * time.Second),
+		WriteQueueSize:  512,
+		PathManager:     pathManager,
+		Parent:          &test.NilLogger{},
+	}
+	err = s.Initialize()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer s.Close()
+
+	s.PathReady(&dummyPath{})
+
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "mydir", "mystream"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}