diff --git a/polkadot/tests/purge_chain_works.rs b/polkadot/tests/purge_chain_works.rs
index 831155fb4d..f5a73e232e 100644
--- a/polkadot/tests/purge_chain_works.rs
+++ b/polkadot/tests/purge_chain_works.rs
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ async fn purge_chain_rocksdb_works() {
 		assert!(cmd.wait().unwrap().success());
 		assert!(tmpdir.path().join("chains/rococo_dev").exists());
 		assert!(tmpdir.path().join("chains/rococo_dev/db/full").exists());
-		assert!(tmpdir.path().join("chains/rococo_dev/db/full/parachains").exists());
 
 		// Purge chain
 		let status = Command::new(cargo_bin("polkadot"))
@@ -102,7 +101,6 @@ async fn purge_chain_paritydb_works() {
 		assert!(cmd.wait().unwrap().success());
 		assert!(tmpdir.path().join("chains/rococo_dev").exists());
 		assert!(tmpdir.path().join("chains/rococo_dev/paritydb/full").exists());
-		assert!(tmpdir.path().join("chains/rococo_dev/paritydb/parachains").exists());
 
 		// Purge chain
 		let status = Command::new(cargo_bin("polkadot"))
@@ -118,8 +116,6 @@ async fn purge_chain_paritydb_works() {
 		// Make sure that the chain folder exists, but `db/full` is deleted.
 		assert!(tmpdir.path().join("chains/rococo_dev").exists());
 		assert!(!tmpdir.path().join("chains/rococo_dev/paritydb/full").exists());
-		// Parachains removal requires calling "purge-chain --parachains".
-		assert!(tmpdir.path().join("chains/rococo_dev/paritydb/parachains").exists());
 	})
 	.await;
 }
diff --git a/substrate/client/cli/src/commands/purge_chain_cmd.rs b/substrate/client/cli/src/commands/purge_chain_cmd.rs
index 2ff3d4b9a0..6e7b8143a5 100644
--- a/substrate/client/cli/src/commands/purge_chain_cmd.rs
+++ b/substrate/client/cli/src/commands/purge_chain_cmd.rs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ pub struct PurgeChainCmd {
 impl PurgeChainCmd {
 	/// Run the purge command
 	pub fn run(&self, database_config: DatabaseSource) -> error::Result<()> {
-		let db_path = database_config.path().ok_or_else(|| {
+		let db_path = database_config.path().and_then(|p| p.parent()).ok_or_else(|| {
 			error::Error::Input("Cannot purge custom database implementation".into())
 		})?;