diff --git a/opencloud/pkg/command/trash.go b/opencloud/pkg/command/trash.go
index 54a2950043..9b572c3cff 100644
--- a/opencloud/pkg/command/trash.go
+++ b/opencloud/pkg/command/trash.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func TrashPurgeEmptyDirsCommand(cfg *config.Config) *cobra.Command {
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			basePath, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("basepath")
 			dryRun, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("dry-run")
-			posix := cfg.StorageUsers.Driver == "posix"
+			posix := cfg.StorageUsers.Driver == posixDriver
 			if err := trash.PurgeTrashEmptyPaths(basePath, dryRun, posix); err != nil {
 				fmt.Println(err)
 				return err
diff --git a/opencloud/pkg/trash/trash.go b/opencloud/pkg/trash/trash.go
index 823334f4dc..f3b184a22f 100644
--- a/opencloud/pkg/trash/trash.go
+++ b/opencloud/pkg/trash/trash.go
@@ -10,8 +10,12 @@ import (
 const (
 	// _trashGlobPattern is the glob pattern to find all trash items
 	_trashGlobPattern = "spaces/*/*/trash/*/*/*/*"
+	// _trashRootPattern is the glob pattern of the trash container root
+	_trashRootPattern = "spaces/*/*/trash"
 	// _posixTrashGlobPattern is the glob pattern to find all trash items on posix
 	_posixTrashGlobPattern = "*/*/.Trash/files/*"
+	// _posixTrashRootPattern is the glob pattern of the trash container root on posix
+	_posixTrashRootPattern = "*/*/.Trash/files"
 )
 
 // PurgeTrashEmptyPaths purges empty paths in the trash
@@ -32,18 +36,14 @@ func PurgeTrashEmptyPaths(p string, dryRun bool, posix bool) error {
 	}
 
 	for _, d := range dirs {
-		if err := removeEmptyFolder(d, dryRun, posix); err != nil {
+		if err := removeEmptyFolder(d, dryRun, posix, p); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-func removeEmptyFolder(path string, dryRun bool, posix bool) error {
-	stop := "trash"
-	if posix {
-		stop = "files"
-	}
+func removeEmptyFolder(path string, dryRun bool, posix bool, basePath string) error {
 
 	if dryRun {
 		if posix {
@@ -80,8 +80,17 @@ func removeEmptyFolder(path string, dryRun bool, posix bool) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 	nd := filepath.Dir(path)
-	if filepath.Base(nd) == stop {
+	if isTrashRoot(nd, basePath, posix) {
 		return nil
 	}
-	return removeEmptyFolder(nd, dryRun, posix)
+	return removeEmptyFolder(nd, dryRun, posix, basePath)
+}
+
+func isTrashRoot(path, basePath string, posix bool) bool {
+	rootPattern := _trashRootPattern
+	if posix {
+		rootPattern = _posixTrashRootPattern
+	}
+	matched, _ := filepath.Match(filepath.Join(basePath, rootPattern), path)
+	return matched
 }
diff --git a/opencloud/pkg/trash/trash_test.go b/opencloud/pkg/trash/trash_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4b5cefc6b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opencloud/pkg/trash/trash_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+package trash
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/test-go/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestIsTrashRootDecomposed(t *testing.T) {
+	storageRoot := "test_temp_" + t.Name()
+	defer os.RemoveAll(storageRoot)
+
+	require.True(t, isTrashRoot(storageRoot+"/spaces/id/id/trash", storageRoot, false))
+	require.False(t, isTrashRoot(storageRoot+"/spaces/id/id/trash/s1/s2/s3/node", storageRoot, false))
+	require.False(t, isTrashRoot(storageRoot+"/spaces/id/id/trash/s1/s2/trash/node", storageRoot, false))
+}
+
+func TestIsTrashRootPosix(t *testing.T) {
+	storageRoot := "test_temp_" + t.Name()
+	defer os.RemoveAll(storageRoot)
+
+	require.True(t, isTrashRoot(storageRoot+"/users/alice/.Trash/files", storageRoot, true))
+	require.False(t, isTrashRoot(storageRoot+"/users/alice/.Trash/files/item.trashitem", storageRoot, true))
+	require.False(t, isTrashRoot(storageRoot+"/users/alice/.Trash/files/item.trashitem/files", storageRoot, true))
+}
+
+func TestRemoveEmptyFolderPosix(t *testing.T) {
+	storageRoot := "test_temp_" + t.Name()
+	base := storageRoot + "/users/alice/.Trash/files"
+	defer os.RemoveAll(storageRoot)
+
+	emptyChain := base + "/empty.trashitem/sub/subsub"
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(emptyChain, os.ModePerm))
+
+	nonEmpty := base + "/keep.trashitem"
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(nonEmpty, os.ModePerm))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(nonEmpty+"/file.txt", []byte("some text"), os.ModePerm))
+
+	require.NoError(t, removeEmptyFolder(emptyChain, false, true, storageRoot))
+
+	assertNoDirExists(t, emptyChain)
+	assertNoDirExists(t, base+"/empty.trashitem")
+	assertDirExists(t, base)
+	assertDirExists(t, nonEmpty)
+}
+
+func TestRemoveEmptyFolderPosixUserDirNamedFiles(t *testing.T) {
+	storageRoot := "test_temp_" + t.Name()
+	base := storageRoot + "/users/alice/.Trash/files"
+	defer os.RemoveAll(storageRoot)
+
+	nestedFilesDir := base + "/folder.trashitem/files/files"
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(nestedFilesDir, os.ModePerm))
+
+	require.NoError(t, removeEmptyFolder(nestedFilesDir, false, true, storageRoot))
+
+	assertNoDirExists(t, nestedFilesDir)
+	assertNoDirExists(t, base+"/folder.trashitem/files")
+	assertNoDirExists(t, base+"/folder.trashitem")
+	assertDirExists(t, base)
+}
+
+func TestRemoveEmptyFolderDecomposed(t *testing.T) {
+	storageRoot := "test_temp_" + t.Name()
+	base := storageRoot + "/spaces/id/id/trash"
+	defer os.RemoveAll(storageRoot)
+
+	emptyChain := base + "/s1/s2/s3/node"
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(emptyChain, os.ModePerm))
+
+	require.NoError(t, removeEmptyFolder(emptyChain, false, false, storageRoot))
+
+	assertNoDirExists(t, emptyChain)
+	assertNoDirExists(t, base+"/s1/s2/s3")
+	assertNoDirExists(t, base+"/s1/s2")
+	assertNoDirExists(t, base+"/s1")
+	assertDirExists(t, base)
+}
+
+func TestRemoveEmptyFolderDecomposedUserDirNamedTrash(t *testing.T) {
+	storageRoot := "test_temp_" + t.Name()
+	base := storageRoot + "/spaces/id/id/trash"
+	defer os.RemoveAll(storageRoot)
+
+	nestedTrashDir := base + "/s1/trash/s2/node"
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(nestedTrashDir, os.ModePerm))
+
+	require.NoError(t, removeEmptyFolder(nestedTrashDir, false, false, storageRoot))
+
+	assertNoDirExists(t, nestedTrashDir)
+	assertNoDirExists(t, base+"/s1/trash/s2")
+	assertNoDirExists(t, base+"/s1/trash")
+	assertNoDirExists(t, base+"/s1")
+	assertDirExists(t, base)
+}
+
+func assertNoDirExists(t *testing.T, path string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	_, err := os.Stat(path)
+	require.True(t, os.IsNotExist(err))
+}
+
+func assertDirExists(t *testing.T, path string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	fi, err := os.Stat(path)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.True(t, fi.IsDir())
+}