diff --git a/src/node/chainstate.cpp b/src/node/chainstate.cpp
index 87c91b2dcfa6..054261c8567f 100644
--- a/src/node/chainstate.cpp
+++ b/src/node/chainstate.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,35 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 namespace node {
+static bool RemoveSnapshotChainstateArtifacts(const fs::path& data_dir, bilingual_str& error)
+{
+    // Explicit reindexing discards both coins databases and EvoDB, so remove
+    // every snapshot lifecycle directory in the same stroke. A directory must
+    // not outlive the markers that describe it: a chainstate_snapshot dir whose
+    // EvoDB markers were just wiped can no longer be revived by
+    // ActivateExistingSnapshot(), and a reindex is also the user's request to
+    // discard the _INVALID forensics directory and any interrupted-swap
+    // remnant, neither of which the (skipped) recovery pass will see.
+    const fs::path normal{data_dir / "chainstate"};
+    fs::path snapshot{normal};
+    snapshot += SNAPSHOT_CHAINSTATE_SUFFIX;
+    fs::path invalid{snapshot};
+    invalid += SNAPSHOT_INVALID_SUFFIX;
+    fs::path to_delete{normal};
+    to_delete += SNAPSHOT_TODELETE_SUFFIX;
+    for (const auto& path : {snapshot, invalid, to_delete}) {
+        if (!fs::exists(path)) continue;
+        try {
+            RemoveAllDurably(path);
+        } catch (const fs::filesystem_error& e) {
+            error = strprintf(_("Failed to remove snapshot chainstate artifact %s for reindex: %s"),
+                              fs::PathToString(path), e.what());
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
 static bool RecoverSnapshotCleanup(CEvoDB& evodb, const fs::path& data_dir, bilingual_str& error)
 {
     const fs::path normal{data_dir / "chainstate"};
@@ -326,6 +355,13 @@ ChainstateLoadResult LoadChainstate(ChainstateManager& chainman, const CacheSize
 
     LOCK(cs_main);
 
+    if (options.reindex || options.reindex_chainstate) {
+        bilingual_str cleanup_error;
+        if (!RemoveSnapshotChainstateArtifacts(options.data_dir, cleanup_error)) {
+            return {ChainstateLoadStatus::FAILURE, cleanup_error};
+        }
+    }
+
     evodb.reset();
     // TODO: pass DbWrapperParams as options instead multiple params
     evodb = std::make_unique<CEvoDB>(util::DbWrapperParams{
@@ -344,15 +380,6 @@ ChainstateLoadResult LoadChainstate(ChainstateManager& chainman, const CacheSize
     // Load the fully validated chainstate.
     chainman.InitializeChainstate(options.mempool, *evodb, chain_helper);
 
-    // Wiping the shared EvoDB above erased the SNAPSHOT best-block marker that
-    // ActivateExistingSnapshot() requires, so a persisted snapshot chainstate can
-    // no longer be revived. Discard it here rather than letting startup fail with
-    // advice ("reindex") the user has just followed, which would never recover.
-    if ((options.reindex || options.reindex_chainstate) && !DeleteSnapshotChainstateFromDisk()) {
-        return {ChainstateLoadStatus::FAILURE,
-                _("Failed to remove the snapshot chainstate directory. Remove it manually before restarting.")};
-    }
-
     // Load a chain created from a UTXO snapshot, if any exist.
     bilingual_str snapshot_error;
     if (!chainman.DetectSnapshotChainstate(options.mempool, snapshot_error)) {
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 2d5f23772751..1e5142023b90 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -5570,19 +5570,6 @@ static bool DeleteCoinsDBFromDisk(const fs::path db_path, bool is_snapshot)
     return destroyed && !fs::exists(db_path);
 }
 
-bool DeleteSnapshotChainstateFromDisk()
-{
-    AssertLockHeld(::cs_main);
-
-    auto snapshot_datadir = node::FindSnapshotChainstateDir();
-    if (!snapshot_datadir) {
-        return true;
-    }
-    LogPrintf("[snapshot] discarding persisted snapshot chainstate at %s\n",
-              fs::PathToString(*snapshot_datadir));
-    return DeleteCoinsDBFromDisk(*snapshot_datadir, /*is_snapshot=*/true);
-}
-
 bool ChainstateManager::ActivateSnapshot(
         AutoFile& coins_file,
         const SnapshotMetadata& metadata,
diff --git a/src/validation.h b/src/validation.h
index c325d8b637f2..2bab90895e41 100644
--- a/src/validation.h
+++ b/src/validation.h
@@ -1294,16 +1294,6 @@ MnRewardEra GetMnRewardEraAfter(const CBlockIndex* pindexPrev, const ChainstateM
  */
 const AssumeutxoData* ExpectedAssumeutxo(const int height, const CChainParams& params);
 
-/**
- * Remove a persisted snapshot chainstate's on-disk artifacts: its coins database
- * and the base-blockhash file identifying it. Only valid while no snapshot
- * Chainstate object exists, i.e. at startup before DetectSnapshotChainstate().
- *
- * @returns false only if a snapshot chainstate was found but could not be fully
- *          removed; true when there was nothing to remove.
- */
-bool DeleteSnapshotChainstateFromDisk() EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(::cs_main);
-
 /** Identifies blocks that overwrote an existing coinbase output in the UTXO set (see BIP30) */
 bool IsBIP30Repeat(const CBlockIndex& block_index);
 
diff --git a/test/functional/feature_reindex.py b/test/functional/feature_reindex.py
index 0a12c216adbc..6b74a99e3595 100755
--- a/test/functional/feature_reindex.py
+++ b/test/functional/feature_reindex.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 """
 
 import os
+from pathlib import Path
 from test_framework.test_framework import BitcoinTestFramework
 from test_framework.messages import MAGIC_BYTES
 from test_framework.util import assert_equal
@@ -25,9 +26,19 @@ def reindex(self, justchainstate=False, txindex=0):
         self.generatetoaddress(self.nodes[0], 3, self.nodes[0].get_deterministic_priv_key().address)
         blockcount = self.nodes[0].getblockcount()
         self.stop_nodes()
+        chain_dir = Path(self.nodes[0].datadir) / self.nodes[0].chain
+        snapshot_artifacts = [
+            chain_dir / "chainstate_snapshot",
+            chain_dir / "chainstate_snapshot_INVALID",
+            chain_dir / "chainstate_todelete",
+        ]
+        for artifact in snapshot_artifacts:
+            artifact.mkdir()
+            (artifact / "stale").touch()
         extra_args = [["-reindex-chainstate", "-txindex=0"]] if justchainstate else [["-reindex", f"-txindex={txindex}"]]
         self.start_nodes(extra_args)
         assert_equal(self.nodes[0].getblockcount(), blockcount)  # start_node is blocking on reindex
+        assert all(not artifact.exists() for artifact in snapshot_artifacts)
         self.log.info("Success")
 
     # Check that blocks can be processed out of order