diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/plugin/PendingPluginInstallation.java b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/plugin/PendingPluginInstallation.java
index 1da4823b7d..13f18c74c3 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/plugin/PendingPluginInstallation.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/plugin/PendingPluginInstallation.java
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
  * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
  * SOFTWARE.
  */
-    
+
 package sonia.scm.plugin;
 
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -50,10 +50,14 @@ class PendingPluginInstallation {
   void cancel() {
     String name = plugin.getDescriptor().getInformation().getName();
     LOG.info("cancel installation of plugin {}", name);
-    try {
-      Files.delete(file);
-    } catch (IOException ex) {
-      throw new PluginFailedToCancelInstallationException("failed to cancel plugin installation ", name, ex);
+    if (Files.exists(file)) {
+      try {
+        Files.delete(file);
+      } catch (IOException ex) {
+        throw new PluginFailedToCancelInstallationException("failed to cancel plugin installation ", name, ex);
+      }
+    } else {
+      LOG.info("plugin file {} did not exists for plugin {}; nothing deleted", file, name);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/plugin/PendingPluginInstallationTest.java b/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/plugin/PendingPluginInstallationTest.java
index b668870488..f8fe44e8f0 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/plugin/PendingPluginInstallationTest.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/plugin/PendingPluginInstallationTest.java
@@ -59,8 +59,13 @@ class PendingPluginInstallationTest {
   }
 
   @Test
-  void shouldThrowExceptionIfCancelFailed(@TempDir Path directory) {
+  void shouldThrowExceptionIfCancelFailed(@TempDir Path directory) throws IOException {
     Path file = directory.resolve("file");
+    Files.createDirectory(file);
+
+    Path makeFileNotDeletable = file.resolve("not_deletable");
+    Files.write(makeFileNotDeletable, "42".getBytes());
+
     when(plugin.getDescriptor().getInformation().getName()).thenReturn("scm-awesome-plugin");
 
     PendingPluginInstallation installation = new PendingPluginInstallation(plugin, file);