diff --git a/cmd/tier-journal.go b/cmd/tier-journal.go
index c84ef2984..5117d7207 100644
--- a/cmd/tier-journal.go
+++ b/cmd/tier-journal.go
@@ -71,18 +71,9 @@ func initTierDeletionJournal(ctx context.Context) (*tierJournal, error) {
 		tierMemJournal:  newTierMemJoural(1000),
 		tierDiskJournal: newTierDiskJournal(),
 	}
+
 	for _, diskPath := range globalEndpoints.LocalDisksPaths() {
 		j.diskPath = diskPath
-		if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(j.JournalPath()), os.FileMode(0o700)); err != nil {
-			logger.LogIf(ctx, err)
-			continue
-		}
-
-		err := j.Open()
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.LogIf(ctx, err)
-			continue
-		}
 
 		go j.deletePending(ctx)  // for existing journal entries from previous MinIO versions
 		go j.processEntries(ctx) // for newer journal entries circa free-versions
@@ -100,10 +91,8 @@ func (jd *tierDiskJournal) rotate() error {
 	if _, err := os.Stat(jd.ReadOnlyPath()); err == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	// Close the active journal if present.
-	jd.Close()
-	// Open a new active journal for subsequent journalling.
-	return jd.Open()
+	// Close the active journal if present and delete it.
+	return jd.Close()
 }
 
 type walkFn func(ctx context.Context, objName, rvID, tierName string) error
@@ -117,8 +106,7 @@ func (jd *tierDiskJournal) JournalPath() string {
 }
 
 func (jd *tierDiskJournal) WalkEntries(ctx context.Context, fn walkFn) {
-	err := jd.rotate()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := jd.rotate(); err != nil {
 		logger.LogIf(ctx, fmt.Errorf("tier-journal: failed to rotate pending deletes journal %s", err))
 		return
 	}
@@ -226,21 +214,17 @@ func (jd *tierDiskJournal) Close() error {
 	if fi, err = f.Stat(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	defer f.Close()
+	f.Close() // close before rename()
+
 	// Skip renaming active journal if empty.
 	if fi.Size() == tierJournalHdrLen {
-		return nil
+		return os.Remove(jd.JournalPath())
 	}
 
 	jPath := jd.JournalPath()
 	jroPath := jd.ReadOnlyPath()
 	// Rotate active journal to perform pending deletes.
-	err = os.Rename(jPath, jroPath)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	return nil
+	return os.Rename(jPath, jroPath)
 }
 
 // Open opens a new active journal. Note: calling Open on an opened journal is a