diff --git a/xbps-src/libexec/doinst-helper.sh.in b/xbps-src/libexec/doinst-helper.sh.in
index 4edcd3e957..4069b2ea11 100644
--- a/xbps-src/libexec/doinst-helper.sh.in
+++ b/xbps-src/libexec/doinst-helper.sh.in
@@ -99,12 +99,9 @@ install_src_phase()
 		find ${DESTDIR} -type f -name .packlist -delete
 	fi
 	# Remove empty directories by default.
-	if [ -z "$keep_empty_dirs" ]; then
-		msg_normal "$pkgver: removing empty dirs...\n"
-		find ${DESTDIR} -depth -type d -exec rmdir 2>/dev/null {} \;
-	fi
-	touch -f $XBPS_INSTALL_DONE
-
+	for f in $(find ${DESTDIR} -depth -type d); do
+		rmdir $f 2>/dev/null && msg_warn "removed empty dir: ${f##${DESTDIR}}\n"
+	done
 	#
 	# Build subpackages if found.
 	#
@@ -127,12 +124,14 @@ install_src_phase()
 		set_tmpl_common_vars
 		if [ ! -f ${wrksrc}/.xbps_do_install_${pkgname}_done ]; then
 			run_func do_install
-			[ $? -eq 0 ] && \
+			if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
 				touch -f ${wrksrc}/.xbps_do_install_${pkgname}_done
+			fi
 		else
 			msg_warn "$pkgver: skipping '$pkgname' subpkg, already installed into destdir.\n"
 		fi
 	done
+	touch -f $XBPS_INSTALL_DONE
 }
 
 [ -z "$PKG_TMPLNAME" ] && exit 2
diff --git a/xbps-src/shutils/metadata.sh b/xbps-src/shutils/metadata.sh
index 2f02766885..6bf4ec1d4c 100644
--- a/xbps-src/shutils/metadata.sh
+++ b/xbps-src/shutils/metadata.sh
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ xbps_write_metadata_pkg()
 		setup_tmpl ${sourcepkg}
 		unset run_depends conf_files noarch triggers replaces \
 			revision system_accounts system_groups \
-			preserve keep_empty_dirs xml_entries sgml_entries \
+			preserve xml_entries sgml_entries \
 			xml_catalogs sgml_catalogs gconf_entries gconf_schemas \
 			gtk_iconcache_dirs font_dirs dkms_modules provides \
 			kernel_hooks_version conflicts pycompile_dirs \
diff --git a/xbps-src/shutils/tmpl_funcs.sh.in b/xbps-src/shutils/tmpl_funcs.sh.in
index 597710b8ae..72291949b5 100644
--- a/xbps-src/shutils/tmpl_funcs.sh.in
+++ b/xbps-src/shutils/tmpl_funcs.sh.in
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ reset_tmpl_vars()
 	local TMPL_VARS="pkgname distfiles configure_args strip_cmd \
 			make_build_args make_install_args build_style	\
 			short_desc maintainer long_desc checksum wrksrc	\
-			make_cmd bootstrap register_shell keep_empty_dirs \
+			make_cmd bootstrap register_shell \
 			make_build_target configure_script noextract nofetch \
 			build_depends nostrip nonfree \
 			make_install_target version revision patch_args \