2 files changed, 7 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/bitbake/ChangeLog b/bitbake/ChangeLog
index 0c7e6d8a8e..4125e03169 100644
--- a/bitbake/ChangeLog
+++ b/bitbake/ChangeLog
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ Changes in BitBake 1.8.x:
         - Handle paths in svn fetcher module parameter
         - Support the syntax "export VARIABLE"
         - Add bzr fetcher
+        - Add support for cleaning directories before a task in the form:
+          do_taskname[cleandirs] = "dir"
 
 Changes in Bitbake 1.8.8:
         - Rewrite svn fetcher to make adding extra operations easier 
diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/build.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/build.py
index e9a6fc8c61..501f4f8206 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/build.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/build.py
@@ -74,10 +74,13 @@ def exec_func(func, d, dirs = None):
     if not body:
         return
 
+    cleandirs = (data.expand(data.getVarFlag(func, 'cleandirs', d), d) or "").split()
+    for cdir in cleandirs:
+        os.system("rm -rf %s" % cdir)
+
     if not dirs:
-        dirs = (data.getVarFlag(func, 'dirs', d) or "").split()
+        dirs = (data.expand(data.getVarFlag(func, 'dirs', d), d) or "").split()
     for adir in dirs:
-        adir = data.expand(adir, d)
         mkdirhier(adir)
 
     if len(dirs) > 0: