diff --git a/libpod/container_internal.go b/libpod/container_internal.go
index ca2eee1208..1d879d06cb 100644
--- a/libpod/container_internal.go
+++ b/libpod/container_internal.go
@@ -153,6 +153,10 @@ func (c *Container) oomFilePath() (string, error) {
 	return c.ociRuntime.OOMFilePath(c)
 }
 
+func (c *Container) persistDirPath() (string, error) {
+	return c.ociRuntime.PersistDirectoryPath(c)
+}
+
 // Wait for the container's exit file to appear.
 // When it does, update our state based on it.
 func (c *Container) waitForExitFileAndSync() error {
@@ -766,13 +770,15 @@ func (c *Container) removeConmonFiles() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("removing container %s exit file: %w", c.ID(), err)
 	}
 
-	// Remove the oom file
-	oomFile, err := c.oomFilePath()
+	// Remove the persist directory
+	persistDir, err := c.persistDirPath()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := os.Remove(oomFile); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("removing container %s oom file: %w", c.ID(), err)
+	if persistDir != "" {
+		if err := os.RemoveAll(persistDir); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("removing container %s persist directory: %w", c.ID(), err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/libpod/oci.go b/libpod/oci.go
index e0d7406339..f14b4acf83 100644
--- a/libpod/oci.go
+++ b/libpod/oci.go
@@ -153,6 +153,14 @@ type OCIRuntime interface { //nolint:interfacebloat
 	// This is the path to that file for a given container.
 	OOMFilePath(ctr *Container) (string, error)
 
+	// PersistDirectoryPath is the path to a container's persist directory.
+	// Not all OCI runtime implementations will have a persist directory.
+	// If they do, it may contain files such as the exit file and the OOM
+	// file.
+	// If the directory does not exist, the empty string and no error should
+	// be returned.
+	PersistDirectoryPath(ctr *Container) (string, error)
+
 	// RuntimeInfo returns verbose information about the runtime.
 	RuntimeInfo() (*define.ConmonInfo, *define.OCIRuntimeInfo, error)
 
diff --git a/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go b/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go
index 8aa103fb49..1b0f4c42da 100644
--- a/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go
+++ b/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go
@@ -862,6 +862,11 @@ func (r *ConmonOCIRuntime) OOMFilePath(ctr *Container) (string, error) {
 	return filepath.Join(r.persistDir, ctr.ID(), "oom"), nil
 }
 
+// PersistDirectoryPath is the path to the container's persist directory.
+func (r *ConmonOCIRuntime) PersistDirectoryPath(ctr *Container) (string, error) {
+	return filepath.Join(r.persistDir, ctr.ID()), nil
+}
+
 // RuntimeInfo provides information on the runtime.
 func (r *ConmonOCIRuntime) RuntimeInfo() (*define.ConmonInfo, *define.OCIRuntimeInfo, error) {
 	runtimePackage := version.Package(r.path)
diff --git a/libpod/oci_missing.go b/libpod/oci_missing.go
index 98eb91ef8d..bfdbbf228e 100644
--- a/libpod/oci_missing.go
+++ b/libpod/oci_missing.go
@@ -226,6 +226,12 @@ func (r *MissingRuntime) OOMFilePath(ctr *Container) (string, error) {
 	return filepath.Join(r.persistDir, ctr.ID(), "oom"), nil
 }
 
+// PersistDirectoryPath is the path to the container's persist directory.
+// It may include files like the exit file and OOM file.
+func (r *MissingRuntime) PersistDirectoryPath(ctr *Container) (string, error) {
+	return filepath.Join(r.persistDir, ctr.ID()), nil
+}
+
 // RuntimeInfo returns information on the missing runtime
 func (r *MissingRuntime) RuntimeInfo() (*define.ConmonInfo, *define.OCIRuntimeInfo, error) {
 	ocirt := define.OCIRuntimeInfo{