diff --git a/lib/service/service.go b/lib/service/service.go
index e0e2e620828c5..5fa220cf90b86 100644
--- a/lib/service/service.go
+++ b/lib/service/service.go
@@ -1100,12 +1100,9 @@ func initExternalLog(ctx context.Context, auditConfig types.ClusterAuditConfig,
 }
 
 func (process *TeleportProcess) getCacheDir() (string, error) {
-	process.Lock()
-	if cacheDir := process.cacheDir; cacheDir != "" {
-		process.Unlock()
+	if cacheDir := process.currentCacheDir(); cacheDir != "" {
 		return cacheDir, nil
 	}
-	process.Unlock()
 
 	newCacheDir, err := os.MkdirTemp(process.Config.DataDir, "cache-")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1119,7 +1116,7 @@ func (process *TeleportProcess) getCacheDir() (string, error) {
 	if cacheDir := process.cacheDir; cacheDir != "" {
 		process.Unlock()
 		if err := os.Remove(newCacheDir); err != nil {
-			process.log.WithError(err).Warnf("failed to clean up cache directory %v", newCacheDir)
+			process.log.WithError(err).Warnf("Failed to clean up cache directory %q.", newCacheDir)
 		}
 		return cacheDir, nil
 	}
@@ -1129,6 +1126,12 @@ func (process *TeleportProcess) getCacheDir() (string, error) {
 	return newCacheDir, nil
 }
 
+func (process *TeleportProcess) currentCacheDir() string {
+	process.Lock()
+	defer process.Unlock()
+	return process.cacheDir
+}
+
 // initAuthService can be called to initialize auth server service
 func (process *TeleportProcess) initAuthService() error {
 	var err error
@@ -3847,9 +3850,9 @@ func (process *TeleportProcess) StartShutdown(ctx context.Context) context.Conte
 			}
 		}
 
-		if process.cacheDir != "" {
+		if cacheDir := process.currentCacheDir(); cacheDir != "" {
 			if err := os.RemoveAll(process.cacheDir); err != nil {
-				process.log.Warningf("Failed deleting cache directory: %v.", err)
+				process.log.WithError(err).Warnf("Failed to clean up cache directory %q.", cacheDir)
 			}
 		}
 	}()
@@ -3875,16 +3878,19 @@ func (process *TeleportProcess) Close() error {
 	var errors []error
 	localAuth := process.getLocalAuth()
 	if localAuth != nil {
-		errors = append(errors, process.localAuth.Close())
+		errors = append(errors, localAuth.Close())
 	}
 
 	if process.storage != nil {
 		errors = append(errors, process.storage.Close())
 	}
 
-	if process.cacheDir != "" {
-		if err := os.RemoveAll(process.cacheDir); err != nil {
-			errors = append(errors, trace.ConvertSystemError(err))
+	if cacheDir := process.currentCacheDir(); cacheDir != "" {
+		// services are still running but we've been asked to close as quickly
+		// as possible, so we'll only give this one attempt and not exit with an
+		// error in case something created something in the cacheDir
+		if err := os.RemoveAll(cacheDir); err != nil {
+			process.log.WithError(err).Warnf("Failed to clean up cache directory %q.", cacheDir)
 		}
 	}