diff --git a/src/main/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/LibertyTasks.groovy b/src/main/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/LibertyTasks.groovy
index d7a0aab8..10d896d6 100644
--- a/src/main/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/LibertyTasks.groovy
+++ b/src/main/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/LibertyTasks.groovy
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * (C) Copyright IBM Corporation 2018, 2021.
+ * (C) Copyright IBM Corporation 2018, 2023.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -79,6 +79,13 @@ public class LibertyTasks {
         project.cleanDirs {
             dependsOn 'libertyStop'
         }
+
+        // The war, ear and java plugins all apply the base plugin which defines the clean task.
+        // This code ensures the libertyStop task is invoked before clean so that a Liberty server is not orphaned.
+        if (project.plugins.hasPlugin('base')) {
+            def tasks = project.tasks
+            tasks.getByName('clean').dependsOn 'libertyStop'
+        }
 		
 		project.prepareFeature {
 			dependsOn 'installLiberty'		
diff --git a/src/main/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/tasks/CleanTask.groovy b/src/main/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/tasks/CleanTask.groovy
index 0fe67e27..659e235a 100644
--- a/src/main/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/tasks/CleanTask.groovy
+++ b/src/main/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/tasks/CleanTask.groovy
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * (C) Copyright IBM Corporation 2015, 2019.
+ * (C) Copyright IBM Corporation 2015, 2023.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -29,15 +29,26 @@ class CleanTask extends AbstractServerTask {
 
     @TaskAction
     void cleanDirectories() {
-        def params = buildLibertyMap(project);
-        params.put('logs', server.cleanDir.logs)
-        params.put('workarea', server.cleanDir.workarea)
-        params.put('dropins', server.cleanDir.dropins)
-        params.put('apps', server.cleanDir.apps)
-        params.remove('timeout')
-        project.ant.taskdef(name: 'cleanDir',
-                            classname: 'io.openliberty.tools.ant.CleanTask',
-                            classpath: project.buildscript.configurations.classpath.asPath)
-        project.ant.cleanDir(params)
+        // first make sure there is a Liberty installation that needs cleaning as a previous clean may have occurred
+        File installDir = getInstallDir(project)
+        if (isLibertyInstalled(installDir)) {
+            def params = buildLibertyMap(project);
+            params.put('logs', server.cleanDir.logs)
+            params.put('workarea', server.cleanDir.workarea)
+            params.put('dropins', server.cleanDir.dropins)
+            params.put('apps', server.cleanDir.apps)
+            params.remove('timeout')
+            project.ant.taskdef(name: 'cleanDir',
+                                classname: 'io.openliberty.tools.ant.CleanTask',
+                                classpath: project.buildscript.configurations.classpath.asPath)
+            project.ant.cleanDir(params)
+        } else {
+            logger.info("There is no Liberty server to clean. The runtime has not been installed.")
+        }
+    }
+
+    private boolean isLibertyInstalled(File installDir) {
+        boolean installationExists = installDir.exists() && new File(installDir,"lib/ws-launch.jar").exists()
+        return installationExists
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/LibertyTest.groovy b/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/LibertyTest.groovy
index 7e9b1a0e..4ac53556 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/LibertyTest.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/LibertyTest.groovy
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * (C) Copyright IBM Corporation 2015, 2017.
+ * (C) Copyright IBM Corporation 2015, 2023.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -147,9 +147,44 @@ class LibertyTest extends AbstractIntegrationTest{
         try{
            runTasks(buildDir, 'cleanDirs')
         } catch (Exception e) {
-           throw new AssertionError ("Fail on task Clean. "+e)
+           throw new AssertionError ("Fail on task cleanDirs. "+e)
+        }
+
+        try{
+           runTasks(buildDir, 'libertyStart')
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+           throw new AssertionError ("Fail on task libertyStart after cleanDirs. "+e)
+        }
+
+        try{
+           runTasks(buildDir, 'clean')
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+           throw new AssertionError ("Fail on task clean while Liberty server is running "+e)
+        }
+
+        try{
+           runTasks(buildDir, 'clean')
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+           throw new AssertionError ("Fail on task clean after clean. "+e)
         }
-    }
 
+        try{
+           runTasks(buildDir, 'cleanDirs')
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+           throw new AssertionError ("Fail on task cleanDirs after clean. "+e)
+        }
+
+        try{
+           runTasks(buildDir, 'libertyStart')
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+           throw new AssertionError ("Fail on task libertyStart after second clean. "+e)
+        }
+
+        try{
+           runTasks(buildDir, 'libertyStop')
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+           throw new AssertionError ("Fail on task libertyStop after libertyStart. "+e)
+        }
+    }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/test/resources/dev-test/basic-dev-project/build.gradle b/src/test/resources/dev-test/basic-dev-project/build.gradle
index 4b853828..8d982035 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/dev-test/basic-dev-project/build.gradle
+++ b/src/test/resources/dev-test/basic-dev-project/build.gradle
@@ -41,4 +41,4 @@ dependencies {
     testImplementation "javax.xml.bind:jaxb-api:2.3.1"
 }
 
-clean.dependsOn "libertyStop"
\ No newline at end of file
+// clean.dependsOn "libertyStop"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/resources/generate-features-test/basic-dev-project/build.gradle b/src/test/resources/generate-features-test/basic-dev-project/build.gradle
index 3b3a10ad..bd6a0bb1 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/generate-features-test/basic-dev-project/build.gradle
+++ b/src/test/resources/generate-features-test/basic-dev-project/build.gradle
@@ -44,4 +44,4 @@ dependencies {
     testImplementation "javax.xml.bind:jaxb-api:2.3.1"
 }
 
-clean.dependsOn "libertyStop"
\ No newline at end of file
+// clean.dependsOn "libertyStop"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/resources/generate-features-test/restful/build.gradle b/src/test/resources/generate-features-test/restful/build.gradle
index bf92c927..67b2e38e 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/generate-features-test/restful/build.gradle
+++ b/src/test/resources/generate-features-test/restful/build.gradle
@@ -47,4 +47,4 @@ dependencies {
     testImplementation "javax.xml.bind:jaxb-api:2.3.1"
 }
 
-clean.dependsOn "libertyStop"
\ No newline at end of file
+// clean.dependsOn "libertyStop"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/resources/liberty-test/build.gradle b/src/test/resources/liberty-test/build.gradle
index 71f6d9fe..74a25d15 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/liberty-test/build.gradle
+++ b/src/test/resources/liberty-test/build.gradle
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 apply plugin: 'liberty'
+apply plugin: 'java'
 
 buildscript {
     repositories {
diff --git a/src/test/resources/loose-ear-earlibs-test/SampleEAR/build.gradle b/src/test/resources/loose-ear-earlibs-test/SampleEAR/build.gradle
index 97663586..860c2442 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/loose-ear-earlibs-test/SampleEAR/build.gradle
+++ b/src/test/resources/loose-ear-earlibs-test/SampleEAR/build.gradle
@@ -51,6 +51,6 @@ liberty {
     }
 }
 
-clean.dependsOn 'libertyStop'
+// clean.dependsOn 'libertyStop'
 deploy.dependsOn 'ear'
 ear.dependsOn ':SampleEJB:jar', ':SampleWAR:war', ':SampleWAR2:war'
diff --git a/src/test/resources/loose-ear-test/ejb-ear/build.gradle b/src/test/resources/loose-ear-test/ejb-ear/build.gradle
index e7207d74..0d26d3e9 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/loose-ear-test/ejb-ear/build.gradle
+++ b/src/test/resources/loose-ear-test/ejb-ear/build.gradle
@@ -51,6 +51,6 @@ liberty {
     }
 }
 
-clean.dependsOn 'libertyStop'
+// clean.dependsOn 'libertyStop'
 deploy.dependsOn 'ear'
 ear.dependsOn ':ejb-war:jar', ':ejb-war:war'
diff --git a/src/test/resources/multi-module-loose-ear-test/ejb-ear/build.gradle b/src/test/resources/multi-module-loose-ear-test/ejb-ear/build.gradle
index 1c3468b4..2b99f426 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/multi-module-loose-ear-test/ejb-ear/build.gradle
+++ b/src/test/resources/multi-module-loose-ear-test/ejb-ear/build.gradle
@@ -50,6 +50,6 @@ liberty {
     }
 }
 
-clean.dependsOn 'libertyStop'
+// clean.dependsOn 'libertyStop'
 deploy.dependsOn 'ear'
 ear.dependsOn ':ejb-war:jar', ':ejb-war:war'