diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
index 508cbc46f..99be6b554 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
  * Copyright(c) 2014 6WIND S.A.
  */
 
+#include <dirent.h>
+#include <fnmatch.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
@@ -141,6 +143,92 @@ eal_create_runtime_dir(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int
+eal_clean_runtime_dir(void)
+{
+	DIR *dir;
+	struct dirent *dirent;
+	int dir_fd, fd, lck_result;
+	static const char * const filters[] = {
+		"fbarray_*",
+		"mp_socket_*"
+	};
+
+	/* open directory */
+	dir = opendir(runtime_dir);
+	if (!dir) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Unable to open runtime directory %s\n",
+				runtime_dir);
+		goto error;
+	}
+	dir_fd = dirfd(dir);
+
+	/* lock the directory before doing anything, to avoid races */
+	if (flock(dir_fd, LOCK_EX) < 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Unable to lock runtime directory %s\n",
+			runtime_dir);
+		goto error;
+	}
+
+	dirent = readdir(dir);
+	if (!dirent) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Unable to read runtime directory %s\n",
+				runtime_dir);
+		goto error;
+	}
+
+	while (dirent != NULL) {
+		unsigned int f_idx;
+		bool skip = true;
+
+		/* skip files that don't match the patterns */
+		for (f_idx = 0; f_idx < RTE_DIM(filters); f_idx++) {
+			const char *filter = filters[f_idx];
+
+			if (fnmatch(filter, dirent->d_name, 0) == 0) {
+				skip = false;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if (skip) {
+			dirent = readdir(dir);
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		/* try and lock the file */
+		fd = openat(dir_fd, dirent->d_name, O_RDONLY);
+
+		/* skip to next file */
+		if (fd == -1) {
+			dirent = readdir(dir);
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		/* non-blocking lock */
+		lck_result = flock(fd, LOCK_EX | LOCK_NB);
+
+		/* if lock succeeds, remove the file */
+		if (lck_result != -1)
+			unlinkat(dir_fd, dirent->d_name, 0);
+		close(fd);
+		dirent = readdir(dir);
+	}
+
+	/* closedir closes dir_fd and drops the lock */
+	closedir(dir);
+	return 0;
+
+error:
+	if (dir)
+		closedir(dir);
+
+	RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Error while clearing runtime dir: %s\n",
+		strerror(errno));
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
+
 const char *
 rte_eal_get_runtime_dir(void)
 {
@@ -805,6 +893,18 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * clean up unused files in runtime directory. we do this at the end of
+	 * init and not at the beginning because we want to clean stuff up
+	 * whether we are primary or secondary process, but we cannot remove
+	 * primary process' files because secondary should be able to run even
+	 * if primary process is dead.
+	 */
+	if (eal_clean_runtime_dir() < 0) {
+		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot clear runtime directory\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	rte_eal_mcfg_complete();
 
 	/* Call each registered callback, if enabled */
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_proc.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_proc.c
index 97663d3ba..e66d7fafb 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_proc.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_proc.c
@@ -542,29 +542,6 @@ open_socket_fd(void)
 	return mp_fd;
 }
 
-static int
-unlink_sockets(const char *filter)
-{
-	int dir_fd;
-	DIR *mp_dir;
-	struct dirent *ent;
-
-	mp_dir = opendir(mp_dir_path);
-	if (!mp_dir) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Unable to open directory %s\n", mp_dir_path);
-		return -1;
-	}
-	dir_fd = dirfd(mp_dir);
-
-	while ((ent = readdir(mp_dir))) {
-		if (fnmatch(filter, ent->d_name, 0) == 0)
-			unlinkat(dir_fd, ent->d_name, 0);
-	}
-
-	closedir(mp_dir);
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int
 rte_mp_channel_init(void)
 {
@@ -603,13 +580,6 @@ rte_mp_channel_init(void)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY &&
-			unlink_sockets(mp_filter)) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "failed to unlink mp sockets\n");
-		close(dir_fd);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
 	if (open_socket_fd() < 0) {
 		close(dir_fd);
 		return -1;
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_filesystem.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_filesystem.h
index b3e8ae5ea..1528282cf 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_filesystem.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_filesystem.h
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
 int
 eal_create_runtime_dir(void);
 
+int
+eal_clean_runtime_dir(void);
+
 /* returns runtime dir */
 const char *
 rte_eal_get_runtime_dir(void);
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
index 361744d40..a1bc02dfa 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/eal.c
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@
 #include <syslog.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <sys/file.h>
+#include <dirent.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <fnmatch.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <limits.h>
@@ -149,6 +151,91 @@ eal_create_runtime_dir(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int
+eal_clean_runtime_dir(void)
+{
+	DIR *dir;
+	struct dirent *dirent;
+	int dir_fd, fd, lck_result;
+	static const char * const filters[] = {
+		"fbarray_*",
+		"mp_socket_*"
+	};
+
+	/* open directory */
+	dir = opendir(runtime_dir);
+	if (!dir) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Unable to open runtime directory %s\n",
+				runtime_dir);
+		goto error;
+	}
+	dir_fd = dirfd(dir);
+
+	/* lock the directory before doing anything, to avoid races */
+	if (flock(dir_fd, LOCK_EX) < 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Unable to lock runtime directory %s\n",
+			runtime_dir);
+		goto error;
+	}
+
+	dirent = readdir(dir);
+	if (!dirent) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Unable to read runtime directory %s\n",
+				runtime_dir);
+		goto error;
+	}
+
+	while (dirent != NULL) {
+		unsigned int f_idx;
+		bool skip = true;
+
+		/* skip files that don't match the patterns */
+		for (f_idx = 0; f_idx < RTE_DIM(filters); f_idx++) {
+			const char *filter = filters[f_idx];
+
+			if (fnmatch(filter, dirent->d_name, 0) == 0) {
+				skip = false;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if (skip) {
+			dirent = readdir(dir);
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		/* try and lock the file */
+		fd = openat(dir_fd, dirent->d_name, O_RDONLY);
+
+		/* skip to next file */
+		if (fd == -1) {
+			dirent = readdir(dir);
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		/* non-blocking lock */
+		lck_result = flock(fd, LOCK_EX | LOCK_NB);
+
+		/* if lock succeeds, remove the file */
+		if (lck_result != -1)
+			unlinkat(dir_fd, dirent->d_name, 0);
+		close(fd);
+		dirent = readdir(dir);
+	}
+
+	/* closedir closes dir_fd and drops the lock */
+	closedir(dir);
+	return 0;
+
+error:
+	if (dir)
+		closedir(dir);
+
+	RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Error while clearing runtime dir: %s\n",
+		strerror(errno));
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
 const char *
 rte_eal_get_runtime_dir(void)
 {
@@ -1096,6 +1183,18 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * clean up unused files in runtime directory. we do this at the end of
+	 * init and not at the beginning because we want to clean stuff up
+	 * whether we are primary or secondary process, but we cannot remove
+	 * primary process' files because secondary should be able to run even
+	 * if primary process is dead.
+	 */
+	if (eal_clean_runtime_dir() < 0) {
+		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot clear runtime directory\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	rte_eal_mcfg_complete();
 
 	/* Call each registered callback, if enabled */
