diff --git a/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/IndexWriter.java b/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/IndexWriter.java
index 2805c59ff12..aabba4d6b33 100644
--- a/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/IndexWriter.java
+++ b/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/IndexWriter.java
@@ -3425,16 +3425,13 @@ public class IndexWriter
     if (useCompoundFile) {
       Collection<String> filesToDelete = merge.getMergeInfo().files();
       TrackingDirectoryWrapper trackingCFSDir = new TrackingDirectoryWrapper(mergeDirectory);
-      // TODO: unlike merge, on exception we arent sniping any trash cfs files here?
       // createCompoundFile tries to cleanup, but it might not always be able to...
-      try {
-        createCompoundFile(
-            infoStream, trackingCFSDir, merge.getMergeInfo().info, context, this::deleteNewFiles);
-      } finally {
-        // delete new non cfs files directly: they were never
-        // registered with IFD
-        deleteNewFiles(filesToDelete);
-      }
+      createCompoundFile(
+          infoStream, trackingCFSDir, merge.getMergeInfo().info, context, this::deleteNewFiles);
+
+      // creating cfs resets the files tracked in SegmentInfo. if it succeeds, we
+      // delete the non cfs files directly as they are not tracked anymore.
+      deleteNewFiles(filesToDelete);
       merge.getMergeInfo().info.setUseCompoundFile(true);
     }