diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/snapshots/SnapshotsService.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/snapshots/SnapshotsService.java
index 8a82c2656b7..337aac8cb74 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/snapshots/SnapshotsService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/snapshots/SnapshotsService.java
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ import static com.google.common.collect.Maps.newHashMapWithExpectedSize;
  * <li>Once shard snapshot is created data node updates state of the shard in the cluster state using the {@link #updateIndexShardSnapshotStatus(UpdateIndexShardSnapshotStatusRequest)} method</li>
  * <li>When last shard is completed master node in {@link #innerUpdateSnapshotState} method marks the snapshot as completed</li>
  * <li>After cluster state is updated, the {@link #endSnapshot(SnapshotMetaData.Entry)} finalizes snapshot in the repository,
- * notifies all {@link #snapshotCompletionListeners} that snapshot is completed, and finally calls {@link #removeSnapshotFromClusterState(SnapshotId)} to remove snapshot from cluster state</li>
+ * notifies all {@link #snapshotCompletionListeners} that snapshot is completed, and finally calls {@link #removeSnapshotFromClusterState(SnapshotId, SnapshotInfo, Throwable)} to remove snapshot from cluster state</li>
  * </ul>
  */
 public class SnapshotsService extends AbstractComponent implements ClusterStateListener {
@@ -241,8 +241,8 @@ public class SnapshotsService extends AbstractComponent implements ClusterStateL
      * <p/>
      * Creates snapshot in repository and updates snapshot metadata record with list of shards that needs to be processed.
      *
-     * @param clusterState cluster state
-     * @param snapshot snapshot meta data
+     * @param clusterState               cluster state
+     * @param snapshot                   snapshot meta data
      * @param userCreateSnapshotListener listener
      */
     private void beginSnapshot(ClusterState clusterState, final SnapshotMetaData.Entry snapshot, final CreateSnapshotListener userCreateSnapshotListener) {
@@ -681,24 +681,11 @@ public class SnapshotsService extends AbstractComponent implements ClusterStateL
                         }
                     }
                     Snapshot snapshot = repository.finalizeSnapshot(snapshotId, null, entry.shards().size(), ImmutableList.copyOf(shardFailures));
-                    for (SnapshotCompletionListener listener : snapshotCompletionListeners) {
-                        try {
-                            listener.onSnapshotCompletion(snapshotId, new SnapshotInfo(snapshot));
-                        } catch (Throwable t) {
-                            logger.warn("failed to refresh settings for [{}]", t, listener);
-                        }
-                    }
+                    removeSnapshotFromClusterState(snapshotId, new SnapshotInfo(snapshot), null);
                 } catch (Throwable t) {
                     logger.warn("[{}] failed to finalize snapshot", t, snapshotId);
-                    for (SnapshotCompletionListener listener : snapshotCompletionListeners) {
-                        try {
-                            listener.onSnapshotFailure(snapshotId, t);
-                        } catch (Throwable t2) {
-                            logger.warn("failed to update snapshot status for [{}]", t2, listener);
-                        }
-                    }
+                    removeSnapshotFromClusterState(snapshotId, null, t);
                 }
-                removeSnapshotFromClusterState(snapshotId);
             }
         });
     }
@@ -707,9 +694,11 @@ public class SnapshotsService extends AbstractComponent implements ClusterStateL
      * Removes record of running snapshot from cluster state
      *
      * @param snapshotId snapshot id
+     * @param snapshot   snapshot info if snapshot was successful
+     * @param t          exception if snapshot failed
      */
-    private void removeSnapshotFromClusterState(final SnapshotId snapshotId) {
-        clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("remove snapshot metadata", new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
+    private void removeSnapshotFromClusterState(final SnapshotId snapshotId, final SnapshotInfo snapshot, final Throwable t) {
+        clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("remove snapshot metadata", new ProcessedClusterStateUpdateTask() {
             @Override
             public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
                 MetaData metaData = currentState.metaData();
@@ -738,6 +727,22 @@ public class SnapshotsService extends AbstractComponent implements ClusterStateL
             public void onFailure(String source, Throwable t) {
                 logger.warn("[{}][{}] failed to remove snapshot metadata", t, snapshotId);
             }
+
+            @Override
+            public void clusterStateProcessed(String source, ClusterState oldState, ClusterState newState) {
+                for (SnapshotCompletionListener listener : snapshotCompletionListeners) {
+                    try {
+                        if (snapshot != null) {
+                            listener.onSnapshotCompletion(snapshotId, snapshot);
+                        } else {
+                            listener.onSnapshotFailure(snapshotId, t);
+                        }
+                    } catch (Throwable t) {
+                        logger.warn("failed to refresh settings for [{}]", t, listener);
+                    }
+                }
+
+            }
         });
     }
 
@@ -787,10 +792,14 @@ public class SnapshotsService extends AbstractComponent implements ClusterStateL
                             }
                         }
                         shards = shardsBuilder.build();
-                    } else {
-                        // snapshot hasn't started yet or already finished - just end it
+                    } else if (snapshot.state() == State.INIT) {
+                        // snapshot hasn't started yet - end it
                         shards = snapshot.shards();
                         endSnapshot(snapshot);
+                    } else {
+                        // snapshot is being finalized - wait for it
+                        logger.trace("trying to delete completed snapshot - save to delete");
+                        return currentState;
                     }
                     SnapshotMetaData.Entry newSnapshot = new SnapshotMetaData.Entry(snapshotId, snapshot.includeGlobalState(), State.ABORTED, snapshot.indices(), shards);
                     snapshots = new SnapshotMetaData(newSnapshot);
@@ -807,20 +816,24 @@ public class SnapshotsService extends AbstractComponent implements ClusterStateL
             @Override
             public void clusterStateProcessed(String source, ClusterState oldState, ClusterState newState) {
                 if (waitForSnapshot) {
+                    logger.trace("adding snapshot completion listener to wait for deleted snapshot to finish");
                     addListener(new SnapshotCompletionListener() {
                         @Override
                         public void onSnapshotCompletion(SnapshotId snapshotId, SnapshotInfo snapshot) {
+                            logger.trace("deleted snapshot completed - deleting files");
                             removeListener(this);
                             deleteSnapshotFromRepository(snapshotId, listener);
                         }
 
                         @Override
                         public void onSnapshotFailure(SnapshotId snapshotId, Throwable t) {
+                            logger.trace("deleted snapshot failed - deleting files", t);
                             removeListener(this);
                             deleteSnapshotFromRepository(snapshotId, listener);
                         }
                     });
                 } else {
+                    logger.trace("deleted snapshot is not running - deleting files");
                     deleteSnapshotFromRepository(snapshotId, listener);
                 }
             }