diff --git a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposePar.C b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposePar.C
index 50a70387ee..b06da4f4a7 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposePar.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposePar.C
@@ -404,7 +404,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
                 Info<< "Removing " << nProcs
                     << " existing processor directories" << endl;
 
-                fileHandler().rmDir(runTime.path()/word("processors"));
+                fileHandler().rmDir
+                (
+                    runTime.path()/word("processors"),
+                    true  // silent (may not have been collated)
+                );
 
                 // remove existing processor dirs
                 // reverse order to avoid gaps if someone interrupts the process
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/fileOperation/fileOperation.H b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/fileOperation/fileOperation.H
index 6e776320d0..f7044aa08e 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/fileOperation/fileOperation.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/fileOperation/fileOperation.H
@@ -247,7 +247,12 @@ public:
             virtual bool rm(const fileName&) const = 0;
 
             //- Remove a dirctory and its contents
-            virtual bool rmDir(const fileName&) const = 0;
+            //  \param silent do not report missing directory
+            virtual bool rmDir
+            (
+                const fileName& dir,
+                const bool silent = false
+            ) const = 0;
 
 //            //- Open a shared library. Return handle to library. Print error
 //            //  message if library cannot be loaded (check = true)
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/masterUncollatedFileOperation/masterUncollatedFileOperation.C b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/masterUncollatedFileOperation/masterUncollatedFileOperation.C
index f436b45776..41c949fe50 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/masterUncollatedFileOperation/masterUncollatedFileOperation.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/masterUncollatedFileOperation/masterUncollatedFileOperation.C
@@ -630,10 +630,11 @@ bool Foam::fileOperations::masterUncollatedFileOperation::rm
 
 bool Foam::fileOperations::masterUncollatedFileOperation::rmDir
 (
-    const fileName& dir
+    const fileName& dir,
+    const bool silent
 ) const
 {
-    return masterOp<bool, rmDirOp>(dir, rmDirOp());
+    return masterOp<bool, rmDirOp>(dir, rmDirOp(silent));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/masterUncollatedFileOperation/masterUncollatedFileOperation.H b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/masterUncollatedFileOperation/masterUncollatedFileOperation.H
index 5061b1e5cf..b57ced6153 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/masterUncollatedFileOperation/masterUncollatedFileOperation.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/masterUncollatedFileOperation/masterUncollatedFileOperation.H
@@ -249,10 +249,19 @@ protected:
 
         class rmDirOp
         {
+            bool silent_;
         public:
+            rmDirOp()
+            :
+                silent_(false)
+            {}
+            rmDirOp(const bool silent)
+            :
+                silent_(silent)
+            {}
             bool operator()(const fileName& fName) const
             {
-                return Foam::rmDir(fName);
+                return Foam::rmDir(fName, silent_);
             }
         };
 
@@ -533,7 +542,12 @@ public:
             virtual bool rm(const fileName&) const;
 
             //- Remove a dirctory and its contents
-            virtual bool rmDir(const fileName&) const;
+            //  \param silent do not report missing directory
+            virtual bool rmDir
+            (
+                const fileName& dir,
+                const bool silent = false
+            ) const;
 
 //            //- Open a shared library. Return handle to library. Print error
 //            //  message if library cannot be loaded (check = true)
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/uncollatedFileOperation/uncollatedFileOperation.C b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/uncollatedFileOperation/uncollatedFileOperation.C
index e6a509e74c..66e51751fe 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/uncollatedFileOperation/uncollatedFileOperation.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/uncollatedFileOperation/uncollatedFileOperation.C
@@ -292,10 +292,11 @@ bool Foam::fileOperations::uncollatedFileOperation::rm
 
 bool Foam::fileOperations::uncollatedFileOperation::rmDir
 (
-    const fileName& dir
+    const fileName& dir,
+    const bool silent
 ) const
 {
-    return Foam::rmDir(dir);
+    return Foam::rmDir(dir, silent);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/uncollatedFileOperation/uncollatedFileOperation.H b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/uncollatedFileOperation/uncollatedFileOperation.H
index f2d624a9c9..8e750214e3 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/uncollatedFileOperation/uncollatedFileOperation.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/uncollatedFileOperation/uncollatedFileOperation.H
@@ -192,7 +192,11 @@ public:
             virtual bool rm(const fileName&) const;
 
             //- Remove a dirctory and its contents
-            virtual bool rmDir(const fileName&) const;
+            virtual bool rmDir
+            (
+                const fileName& dir,
+                const bool silent = false
+            ) const;
 
 //            //- Open a shared library. Return handle to library. Print error
 //            //  message if library cannot be loaded (check = true)