diff --git a/bin/pax/extern.h b/bin/pax/extern.h
index 90b7e61f5def..d5f4e025d22f 100644
--- a/bin/pax/extern.h
+++ b/bin/pax/extern.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: extern.h,v 1.40 2003/10/13 07:41:22 agc Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: extern.h,v 1.41 2004/02/13 23:10:14 matt Exp $	*/
 
 /*-
  * Copyright (c) 1992 Keith Muller.
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ int bcpio_wr(ARCHD *);
  * file_subs.c
  */
 extern char *gnu_name_string, *gnu_link_string;
+extern char *xtmp_name;
 int file_creat(ARCHD *);
 void file_close(ARCHD *, int);
 int lnk_creat(ARCHD *);
diff --git a/bin/pax/file_subs.c b/bin/pax/file_subs.c
index 8be67b1b9a70..be65b2099330 100644
--- a/bin/pax/file_subs.c
+++ b/bin/pax/file_subs.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: file_subs.c,v 1.40 2004/02/13 08:27:12 matt Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: file_subs.c,v 1.41 2004/02/13 23:10:14 matt Exp $	*/
 
 /*-
  * Copyright (c) 1992 Keith Muller.
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 #if 0
 static char sccsid[] = "@(#)file_subs.c	8.1 (Berkeley) 5/31/93";
 #else
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: file_subs.c,v 1.40 2004/02/13 08:27:12 matt Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: file_subs.c,v 1.41 2004/02/13 23:10:14 matt Exp $");
 #endif
 #endif /* not lint */
 
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ __RCSID("$NetBSD: file_subs.c,v 1.40 2004/02/13 08:27:12 matt Exp $");
 #include "extern.h"
 #include "options.h"
 
+char *xtmp_name;
+
 static int
 mk_link(char *,struct stat *,char *, int);
 
@@ -96,6 +98,9 @@ file_creat(ARCHD *arcn)
 		syswarn(1, errno, "Cannot malloc %d bytes", arcn->nlen + 8);
 		return(-1);
 	}
+	if (xtmp_name)
+		abort();
+	xtmp_name = arcn->tmp_name;
 
 	for (;;) {
 		/*
@@ -178,6 +183,7 @@ file_close(ARCHD *arcn, int fd)
 
 	free(arcn->tmp_name);
 	arcn->tmp_name = NULL;
+	xtmp_name = NULL;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/bin/pax/pax.c b/bin/pax/pax.c
index 987463cf028d..cd2a3f1cd649 100644
--- a/bin/pax/pax.c
+++ b/bin/pax/pax.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: pax.c,v 1.32 2004/02/13 11:36:08 wiz Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: pax.c,v 1.33 2004/02/13 23:10:14 matt Exp $	*/
 
 /*-
  * Copyright (c) 1992 Keith Muller.
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ __COPYRIGHT("@(#) Copyright (c) 1992, 1993\n\
 #if 0
 static char sccsid[] = "@(#)pax.c	8.2 (Berkeley) 4/18/94";
 #else
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: pax.c,v 1.32 2004/02/13 11:36:08 wiz Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: pax.c,v 1.33 2004/02/13 23:10:14 matt Exp $");
 #endif
 #endif /* not lint */
 
@@ -342,6 +342,9 @@ sig_cleanup(int which_sig)
 	else
 		tty_warn(0, "Signal caught, cleaning up.");
 
+	/* delete any open temporary file */
+	if (xtmp_name)
+		(void)unlink(xtmp_name);
 	ar_close();
 	proc_dir();
 	if (tflag)