diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 94671db..6309a5f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -182,6 +182,20 @@ jobs:
         PYMANAGER_DEBUG: true
       shell: powershell
 
+    - name: 'Test purge'
+      run: |
+        $env:PYTHON_MANAGER_CONFIG = (gi $env:PYTHON_MANAGER_CONFIG).FullName
+        pymanager uninstall --purge -y
+        if (Test-Path test_installs) {
+          dir -r test_installs
+        } else {
+          Write-Host "test_installs directory has been deleted"
+        }
+      env:
+        PYTHON_MANAGER_INCLUDE_UNMANAGED: false
+        PYTHON_MANAGER_CONFIG: .\test-config.json
+        PYMANAGER_DEBUG: true
+
     - name: 'Offline bundle download and install'
       run: |
         pymanager list --online 3 3-32 3-64 3-arm64
diff --git a/ci/release.yml b/ci/release.yml
index 01336fe..d2fcbcd 100644
--- a/ci/release.yml
+++ b/ci/release.yml
@@ -323,6 +323,21 @@ stages:
           PYTHON_MANAGER_CONFIG: .\test-config.json
           PYMANAGER_DEBUG: true
 
+      - powershell: |
+          $env:PYTHON_MANAGER_CONFIG = (gi $env:PYTHON_MANAGER_CONFIG).FullName
+          pymanager uninstall --purge -y
+          if (Test-Path test_installs) {
+            dir -r test_installs
+          } else {
+            Write-Host "test_installs directory has been deleted"
+          }
+        displayName: 'Test purge'
+        timeoutInMinutes: 5
+        env:
+          PYTHON_MANAGER_INCLUDE_UNMANAGED: false
+          PYTHON_MANAGER_CONFIG: .\test-config.json
+          PYMANAGER_DEBUG: true
+
       - powershell: |
           pymanager list --online 3 3-32 3-64 3-arm64
           pymanager install --download .\bundle 3 3-32 3-64 3-arm64
diff --git a/src/manage/installs.py b/src/manage/installs.py
index 4b1dfa5..f8150cd 100644
--- a/src/manage/installs.py
+++ b/src/manage/installs.py
@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@ def _get_installs(install_dir):
         try:
             with p.open() as f:
                 j = json.load(f)
+        except ValueError:
+            LOGGER.warn(
+                "Failed to read install at %s. You may have a broken "
+                "install, which can be cleaned up by deleting the directory.",
+                d
+            )
+            LOGGER.debug("ERROR", exc_info=True)
+            continue
         except FileNotFoundError:
             continue
 
diff --git a/src/manage/uninstall_command.py b/src/manage/uninstall_command.py
index 8fefa6c..28735fd 100644
--- a/src/manage/uninstall_command.py
+++ b/src/manage/uninstall_command.py
@@ -66,9 +66,7 @@ def _do_purge_global_dir(global_dir, warn_msg, *, hive=None, subkey="Environment
     if not global_dir.is_dir():
         return
     LOGGER.info("Purging global commands from %s", global_dir)
-    for f in _iterdir(global_dir):
-        LOGGER.debug("Purging %s", f)
-        rmtree(f, after_5s_warning=warn_msg)
+    rmtree(global_dir, after_5s_warning=warn_msg)
 
 
 def execute(cmd):
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index c4ec097..a927495 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -152,11 +152,11 @@ def localserver():
 
 
 class FakeConfig:
-    def __init__(self, global_dir, installs=[]):
-        self.global_dir = global_dir
-        self.root = global_dir.parent if global_dir else None
-        self.download_dir = self.root / "_cache" if self.root else None
-        self.start_folder = self.root / "_start" if self.root else None
+    def __init__(self, root, installs=[]):
+        self.root = self.install_dir = root
+        self.global_dir = root / "bin" if root else None
+        self.download_dir = root / "_cache" if root else None
+        self.start_folder = root / "_start" if root else None
         self.pep514_root = REG_TEST_ROOT
         self.confirm = False
         self.installs = list(installs)
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ def ask_yn(self, question):
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def fake_config(tmp_path):
-    return FakeConfig(tmp_path / "bin")
+    return FakeConfig(tmp_path)
 
 
 class RegistryFixture:
diff --git a/tests/test_uninstall_command.py b/tests/test_uninstall_command.py
index a106d61..050a808 100644
--- a/tests/test_uninstall_command.py
+++ b/tests/test_uninstall_command.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def test_purge_global_dir(monkeypatch, registry, tmp_path):
     UC._do_purge_global_dir(tmp_path, "SLOW WARNING", hive=registry.hive, subkey=registry.root)
     assert registry.getvalueandkind("", "Path") == (
         rf"C:\A;{tmp_path}\X;C:\B;%PTH%;C:\%D%\E", winreg.REG_SZ)
-    assert not list(tmp_path.iterdir())
+    assert not tmp_path.is_dir() or not list(tmp_path.iterdir())
 
 
 def test_null_purge(fake_config):