diff --git a/admin/tool/langimport/classes/controller.php b/admin/tool/langimport/classes/controller.php
index 5f743d70cca..d3eee5887bc 100644
--- a/admin/tool/langimport/classes/controller.php
+++ b/admin/tool/langimport/classes/controller.php
@@ -175,33 +175,6 @@ class controller {
             }
         }
 
-        // Clean-up currently installed versions of the packs.
-        foreach ($neededlangs as $packindex => $pack) {
-            if ($pack == 'en') {
-                continue;
-            }
-
-            // Delete old directories.
-            $dest1 = $CFG->dataroot.'/lang/'.$pack;
-            $dest2 = $CFG->dirroot.'/lang/'.$pack;
-            if (file_exists($dest1)) {
-                if (!remove_dir($dest1)) {
-                    $this->errors[] = 'Could not delete old directory '.$dest1.', update of '.$pack
-                        .' failed, please check permissions.';
-                    unset($neededlangs[$packindex]);
-                    continue;
-                }
-            }
-            if (file_exists($dest2)) {
-                if (!remove_dir($dest2)) {
-                    $this->errors[] = 'Could not delete old directory '.$dest2.', update of '.$pack
-                        .' failed, please check permissions.';
-                    unset($neededlangs[$packindex]);
-                    continue;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
         try {
             $updated = $this->install_languagepacks($neededlangs, true);
         } catch (\moodle_exception $e) {
diff --git a/lib/componentlib.class.php b/lib/componentlib.class.php
index 972a30fa024..07571961d5d 100644
--- a/lib/componentlib.class.php
+++ b/lib/componentlib.class.php
@@ -323,8 +323,14 @@ class component_installer {
     /// Move current revision to a safe place
         $destinationdir = $CFG->dataroot.'/'.$this->destpath;
         $destinationcomponent = $destinationdir.'/'.$this->componentname;
-        @remove_dir($destinationcomponent.'_old');     //Deleting possible old components before
-        @rename ($destinationcomponent, $destinationcomponent.'_old');  //Moving to a safe place
+        @remove_dir($destinationcomponent.'_old');     // Deleting a possible old version.
+
+        // Moving to a safe place.
+        $moveresult = rename($destinationcomponent, $destinationcomponent.'_old');
+        if (!$moveresult) {
+            debugging("Failed to rename {$destinationcomponent} to {$destinationcomponent}_old while installing a language");
+        }
+
     /// Unzip new version
         if (!unzip_file($zipfile, $destinationdir, false)) {
         /// Error so, go back to the older