diff --git a/crates/uv-python/src/downloads.rs b/crates/uv-python/src/downloads.rs
index 4e865375da52..4e3e3f317f6a 100644
--- a/crates/uv-python/src/downloads.rs
+++ b/crates/uv-python/src/downloads.rs
@@ -465,13 +465,14 @@ impl ManagedPythonDownload {
         client: &uv_client::BaseClient,
         installation_dir: &Path,
         cache_dir: &Path,
+        reinstall: bool,
         reporter: Option<&dyn Reporter>,
     ) -> Result<DownloadResult, Error> {
         let url = self.download_url()?;
         let path = installation_dir.join(self.key().to_string());
 
-        // If it already exists, return it
-        if path.is_dir() {
+        // If it is not a reinstall and the dir already exists, return it.
+        if !reinstall && path.is_dir() {
             return Ok(DownloadResult::AlreadyAvailable(path));
         }
 
@@ -560,7 +561,13 @@ impl ManagedPythonDownload {
             }
         }
 
-        // Persist it to the target
+        // Remove the target if it already exists.
+        if path.is_dir() {
+            debug!("Removing existing directory: {}", path.user_display());
+            fs_err::tokio::remove_dir_all(&path).await?;
+        }
+
+        // Persist it to the target.
         debug!("Moving {} to {}", extracted.display(), path.user_display());
         rename_with_retry(extracted, &path)
             .await
diff --git a/crates/uv-python/src/installation.rs b/crates/uv-python/src/installation.rs
index b0a326bad96c..c6bf4e81669e 100644
--- a/crates/uv-python/src/installation.rs
+++ b/crates/uv-python/src/installation.rs
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ impl PythonInstallation {
 
         info!("Fetching requested Python...");
         let result = download
-            .fetch(&client, installations_dir, &cache_dir, reporter)
+            .fetch(&client, installations_dir, &cache_dir, false, reporter)
             .await?;
 
         let path = match result {
diff --git a/crates/uv/src/commands/python/install.rs b/crates/uv/src/commands/python/install.rs
index 601694359783..bb7c4be0b54c 100644
--- a/crates/uv/src/commands/python/install.rs
+++ b/crates/uv/src/commands/python/install.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 use anyhow::Result;
-use fs_err as fs;
 use futures::stream::FuturesUnordered;
 use futures::StreamExt;
 use itertools::Itertools;
@@ -90,7 +89,6 @@ pub(crate) async fn install(
                 )?;
             }
             if reinstall {
-                fs::remove_dir_all(installation.path())?;
                 uninstalled.push(installation.key().clone());
                 unfilled_requests.push(download_request);
             }
@@ -145,7 +143,13 @@ pub(crate) async fn install(
             (
                 download.key(),
                 download
-                    .fetch(&client, installations_dir, &cache_dir, Some(&reporter))
+                    .fetch(
+                        &client,
+                        installations_dir,
+                        &cache_dir,
+                        reinstall,
+                        Some(&reporter),
+                    )
                     .await,
             )
         });