diff --git a/solr/CHANGES.txt b/solr/CHANGES.txt
index 56caef4a5ba..9093d296788 100644
--- a/solr/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/solr/CHANGES.txt
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ Bug Fixes
   
 * SOLR-4551: CachingDirectoryFactory needs to create CacheEntry's with the 
   fullpath not path. (Mark Miller)
+  
+* SOLR-4555: When forceNew is used with CachingDirectoryFactory#get, the old
+  CachValue should have it's path set to null. (Mark Miller)
 
 Other Changes
 ----------------------
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/CachingDirectoryFactory.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/CachingDirectoryFactory.java
index d427a6197c9..45a9d01f009 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/CachingDirectoryFactory.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/CachingDirectoryFactory.java
@@ -166,7 +166,9 @@ public abstract class CachingDirectoryFactory extends DirectoryFactory {
         closeDirectory(cacheValue);
         
         byDirectoryCache.remove(directory);
-        byPathCache.remove(cacheValue.path);
+        if (cacheValue.path != null) {
+          byPathCache.remove(cacheValue.path);
+        }
       }
     }
   }
@@ -259,6 +261,10 @@ public abstract class CachingDirectoryFactory extends DirectoryFactory {
             }
           }
           
+          // kill the path, it will be owned by the new dir
+          // we count on it being released by directory
+          cacheValue.path = null;
+          
         }
       }
       
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/StandardDirectoryFactory.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/StandardDirectoryFactory.java
index 300dc354a31..4eb71363bbe 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/StandardDirectoryFactory.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/StandardDirectoryFactory.java
@@ -64,8 +64,10 @@ public class StandardDirectoryFactory extends CachingDirectoryFactory {
     if (val == null) {
       throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unknown directory " + dir);
     }
-    File dirFile = new File(val.path);
-    FileUtils.deleteDirectory(dirFile);
+    if (val.path != null) {
+      File dirFile = new File(val.path);
+      FileUtils.deleteDirectory(dirFile);
+    }
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/core/CachingDirectoryFactoryTest.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/core/CachingDirectoryFactoryTest.java
index a9287e600e2..d09f103b93f 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/core/CachingDirectoryFactoryTest.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/core/CachingDirectoryFactoryTest.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import org.junit.Test;
 
 public class CachingDirectoryFactoryTest extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
   private Map<String,Tracker> dirs = new HashMap<String,Tracker>();
+  private List<Tracker> oldDirs = new ArrayList<Tracker>();
   private volatile boolean stop = false;
   
   private class Tracker {
@@ -84,6 +85,17 @@ public class CachingDirectoryFactoryTest extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
           }
         }
       }
+      sz = oldDirs.size();
+      if (sz > 0) {
+        for (Tracker tracker : oldDirs) {
+          int cnt = tracker.refCnt.get();
+          for (int i = 0; i < cnt; i++) {
+            tracker.refCnt.decrementAndGet();
+            df.release(tracker.dir);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      
     }
     
     df.close();
@@ -157,7 +169,18 @@ public class CachingDirectoryFactoryTest extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
               tracker.dir = df.get(path, DirContext.DEFAULT, null);
               dirs.put(path, tracker);
             } else {
-              tracker.dir = df.get(path, DirContext.DEFAULT, null);
+              if (random.nextInt(10) > 6) {
+                Tracker oldTracker = new Tracker();
+                oldTracker.refCnt = new AtomicInteger(tracker.refCnt.get());
+                oldTracker.path = tracker.path;
+                oldTracker.dir = tracker.dir;
+                oldDirs.add(oldTracker);
+                
+                tracker.dir = df.get(path, DirContext.DEFAULT, null, true);
+                tracker.refCnt = new AtomicInteger(0);
+              } else {
+                tracker.dir = df.get(path, DirContext.DEFAULT, null);
+              }
             }
             tracker.refCnt.incrementAndGet();
           }
diff --git a/solr/test-framework/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/AbstractFullDistribZkTestBase.java b/solr/test-framework/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/AbstractFullDistribZkTestBase.java
index a9d9b9dcd7d..26a26820b18 100644
--- a/solr/test-framework/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/AbstractFullDistribZkTestBase.java
+++ b/solr/test-framework/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/AbstractFullDistribZkTestBase.java
@@ -1316,7 +1316,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractFullDistribZkTestBase extends AbstractDistribZkTes
         retry  = true;
       }
       cnt++;
-      if (cnt > 10) break;
+      if (cnt > 20) break;
       Thread.sleep(2000);
     } while (retry);
   }