diff --git a/lib/remove.c b/lib/remove.c
index 8219caa37d8..a1bbd02c20e 100644
--- a/lib/remove.c
+++ b/lib/remove.c
@@ -222,14 +222,8 @@ xbps_remove_binary_pkg(const char *pkgname, bool update)
 	if (strcmp(rootdir, "") == 0)
 		rootdir = "/";
 
-	if (rootdir) {
-		if (chdir(rootdir) == -1)
-			return errno;
-	} else {
-		if (chdir("/") == -1)
-			return errno;
-		rootdir = "";
-        }
+	if (chdir(rootdir) == -1)
+		return errno;
 
 	/* Check if pkg is installed */
 	if (xbps_check_is_installed_pkgname(pkgname) == false)
diff --git a/lib/unpack.c b/lib/unpack.c
index 92ebbb69cea..2f16e9c0c49 100644
--- a/lib/unpack.c
+++ b/lib/unpack.c
@@ -143,13 +143,8 @@ unpack_archive_fini(struct archive *ar, prop_dictionary_t pkg)
 	if (strcmp(rootdir, "") == 0)
 		rootdir = "/";
 
-	if (rootdir) {
-		if (chdir(rootdir) == -1)
-			return errno;
-	} else {
-		if (chdir("/") == -1)
-			return errno;
-	}
+	if (chdir(rootdir) == -1)
+		return errno;
 
 	prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkg, "pkgname", &pkgname);
 	prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkg, "version", &version);