diff --git a/lib/hypervisor/hv_xen.py b/lib/hypervisor/hv_xen.py
index 623f1bd0c47a87e75892c44d3fc3e868b48163d5..626994f32ab849b91b8fd130819819a76c06fc9f 100644
--- a/lib/hypervisor/hv_xen.py
+++ b/lib/hypervisor/hv_xen.py
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ class XenHypervisor(hv_base.BaseHypervisor):
     """
     if name is None:
       name = instance.name
-    self._RemoveConfigFile(name)
+
     if force:
       command = [constants.XEN_CMD, "destroy", name]
     else:
@@ -283,6 +283,9 @@ class XenHypervisor(hv_base.BaseHypervisor):
       raise errors.HypervisorError("Failed to stop instance %s: %s, %s" %
                                    (name, result.fail_reason, result.output))
 
+    # Remove configuration file if stopping/starting instance was successful
+    self._RemoveConfigFile(name)
+
   def RebootInstance(self, instance):
     """Reboot an instance.