diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/procedure/CloneSnapshotProcedure.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/procedure/CloneSnapshotProcedure.java
index 99bb26ec4919..1c2bddc37e4b 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/procedure/CloneSnapshotProcedure.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/procedure/CloneSnapshotProcedure.java
@@ -458,6 +458,11 @@ private List<RegionInfo> createFsLayout(
     // 1. Create Table Descriptor
     // using a copy of descriptor, table will be created enabling first
     final Path tempTableDir = CommonFSUtils.getTableDir(tempdir, tableDescriptor.getTableName());
+    if (CommonFSUtils.isExists(mfs.getFileSystem(), tempTableDir)) {
+      // if the region dirs exist, will cause exception and unlimited retry (see HBASE-24546)
+      LOG.warn("temp table dir already exists on disk: {}, will be deleted.", tempTableDir);
+      CommonFSUtils.deleteDirectory(mfs.getFileSystem(), tempTableDir);
+    }
     ((FSTableDescriptors) (env.getMasterServices().getTableDescriptors()))
       .createTableDescriptorForTableDirectory(tempTableDir,
         TableDescriptorBuilder.newBuilder(tableDescriptor).build(), false);