diff --git a/updater/src/com/intellij/updater/Patch.java b/updater/src/com/intellij/updater/Patch.java
index 5389e1ca4cd5..d4da87488a26 100644
--- a/updater/src/com/intellij/updater/Patch.java
+++ b/updater/src/com/intellij/updater/Patch.java
@@ -311,8 +311,6 @@ public class Patch {
     }
 
     List<PatchAction> appliedActions = new ArrayList<>(actionsToApply.size());
-    List<File> createdDirectories = new ArrayList<>();
-    Set<File> createdOptionalFiles = new HashSet<>();
 
     try {
       File _backupDir = backupDir;
@@ -326,16 +324,6 @@ public class Patch {
         else {
           appliedActions.add(action);
           action.apply(patchFile, _backupDir, toDir);
-
-          if (action instanceof CreateAction) {
-            File file = action.getFile(toDir);
-            if (file.isDirectory()) {
-              createdDirectories.add(0, file);
-            }
-            else if (action.isOptional()) {
-              createdOptionalFiles.add(file);
-            }
-          }
         }
       });
     }
@@ -348,19 +336,6 @@ public class Patch {
       return new PatchFileCreator.ApplicationResult(false, appliedActions, t);
     }
 
-    for (File directory : createdDirectories) {
-      File[] children = directory.listFiles();
-      if (children != null && createdOptionalFiles.containsAll(Arrays.asList(children))) {
-        Runner.logger().info("Pruning empty directory: " + directory);
-        try {
-          Utils.delete(directory);
-        }
-        catch (IOException e) {
-          Runner.logger().warn("pruning: " + directory, e);
-        }
-      }
-    }
-
     try {
       // on macOS, we need to update bundle timestamp to reset Info.plist caches
       Files.setLastModifiedTime(toDir.toPath(), FileTime.from(Instant.now()));
diff --git a/updater/testSrc/com/intellij/updater/PatchApplyingRevertingTest.java b/updater/testSrc/com/intellij/updater/PatchApplyingRevertingTest.java
index 75bd973c4f8e..0e2d25081c74 100644
--- a/updater/testSrc/com/intellij/updater/PatchApplyingRevertingTest.java
+++ b/updater/testSrc/com/intellij/updater/PatchApplyingRevertingTest.java
@@ -532,41 +532,6 @@ public abstract class PatchApplyingRevertingTest extends PatchTestCase {
     assertAppliedAndReverted();
   }
 
-  @Test
-  public void testDoNotLeaveEmptyDirectories() throws Exception {
-    FileUtil.createDirectory(new File(myNewerDir, "new_empty_dir/sub_dir"));
-    createPatch();
-
-    PatchFileCreator.PreparationResult preparationResult = PatchFileCreator.prepareAndValidate(myFile, myOlderDir, TEST_UI);
-    assertAppliedAndReverted(preparationResult, expected -> {
-      expected.remove("new_empty_dir/");
-      expected.remove("new_empty_dir/sub_dir/");
-    });
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testUpdatingMissingOptionalDirectory() throws Exception {
-    FileUtil.copy(new File(myOlderDir, "bin/idea.bat"), new File(myOlderDir, "jre/bin/java"));
-    FileUtil.copy(new File(myOlderDir, "lib/annotations.jar"), new File(myOlderDir, "jre/lib/rt.jar"));
-    FileUtil.copy(new File(myOlderDir, "lib/boot.jar"), new File(myOlderDir, "jre/lib/tools.jar"));
-    resetNewerDir();
-    FileUtil.rename(new File(myNewerDir, "jre"), new File(myNewerDir, "jre32"));
-    FileUtil.writeToFile(new File(myNewerDir, "jre32/lib/font-config.bfc"), "# empty");
-
-    myPatchSpec.setOptionalFiles(Arrays.asList(
-      "jre/bin/java", "jre/bin/jvm.dll", "jre/lib/rt.jar", "jre/lib/tools.jar",
-      "jre32/bin/java", "jre32/bin/jvm.dll", "jre32/lib/rt.jar", "jre32/lib/tools.jar", "jre32/lib/font-config.bfc"));
-    createPatch();
-
-    FileUtil.delete(new File(myOlderDir, "jre"));
-
-    PatchFileCreator.PreparationResult preparationResult = PatchFileCreator.prepareAndValidate(myFile, myOlderDir, TEST_UI);
-    assertAppliedAndReverted(preparationResult, expected -> {
-      List<String> keys = ContainerUtil.findAll(expected.keySet(), k -> k.startsWith("jre32/"));
-      keys.forEach(expected::remove);
-    });
-  }
-
   @Test
   public void testReadOnlyFilesAreDeletable() throws Exception {
     File file = new File(myOlderDir, "bin/read_only_to_delete");