diff --git a/pisi/operations/build.py b/pisi/operations/build.py
index b4e4ac74..315c6726 100644
--- a/pisi/operations/build.py
+++ b/pisi/operations/build.py
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ def exclude_special_files(filepath, fileinfo, ag):
         if not pattern in keeplist and re.match(patterns[pattern], fileinfo):
             ctx.ui.debug("Removing special %s file: %s" % (pattern, filepath))
             os.unlink(filepath)
+            # Remove dir if it becomes empty (Bug #11588)
+            pisi.util.rmdirs(os.path.dirname(filepath))
 
 def strip_debug_action(filepath, fileinfo, install_dir, ag):
     excludelist = [] if not ag.has_key('NoStrip') else ag['NoStrip']
diff --git a/pisi/util.py b/pisi/util.py
index e754690b..af00d136 100644
--- a/pisi/util.py
+++ b/pisi/util.py
@@ -668,6 +668,13 @@ def config_changed(config_file):
                 return True
     return False
 
+# recursively remove empty dirs starting from dirpath
+def rmdirs(dirpath):
+    if os.path.isdir(dirpath) and not os.listdir(dirpath):
+        ctx.ui.debug("Removing empty dir: %s" % dirpath)
+        os.rmdir(dirpath)
+        rmdirs(os.path.dirname(dirpath))
+
 # Python regex sucks
 # http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2009-January/523704.html
 def letters():