diff --git a/sources/menus/language_selection/package_downloader.gd b/sources/menus/language_selection/package_downloader.gd
index c28fde97..028f5b94 100644
--- a/sources/menus/language_selection/package_downloader.gd
+++ b/sources/menus/language_selection/package_downloader.gd
@@ -201,6 +201,11 @@ func _copy_data(this: PackageDownloader) -> void:
 	if DirAccess.dir_exists_absolute(current_language_path):
 		Log.trace("PackageDownloader: Removing previous language directory")
 		Utils.delete_directory_recursive(ProjectSettings.globalize_path(current_language_path))
+		if DirAccess.dir_exists_absolute(current_language_path):
+			# Keep the temporary directory so the new pack is not lost
+			Log.error("PackageDownloader: Cannot remove the previous language directory, aborting swap")
+			this.call_thread_safe("_show_error", 2) # Error downloading
+			return
 
 	var error: Error = DirAccess.rename_absolute(new_pack_path, current_language_path)
 	if error != OK:
diff --git a/sources/utils/autoloads/utils.gd b/sources/utils/autoloads/utils.gd
index 877639f1..a4c292df 100644
--- a/sources/utils/autoloads/utils.gd
+++ b/sources/utils/autoloads/utils.gd
@@ -94,14 +94,22 @@ func clean_dir(path: String) -> Error:
 		return error
 	if dir == null:
 		return ERR_FILE_BAD_PATH
+	# Hidden files (e.g. .DS_Store created by the macOS Finder) must be removed
+	# too, otherwise the directory is never empty and cannot be deleted
+	dir.include_hidden = true
+	# Best effort: try to remove everything, report the first error encountered
+	var first_error: Error = OK
 	for file: String in dir.get_files():
-		dir.remove(file)
+		error = dir.remove(file)
+		if error != OK and first_error == OK:
+			first_error = error
 	for subfolder: String in dir.get_directories():
 		error = clean_dir(path.path_join(subfolder))
-		if error != OK:
-			return error
-		dir.remove(subfolder)
-	return OK
+		if error == OK:
+			error = dir.remove(subfolder)
+		if error != OK and first_error == OK:
+			first_error = error
+	return first_error
 
 
 func delete_directory_recursive(path: String) -> void:
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_utils.gd b/tests/unit_tests/test_utils.gd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a3dc04e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_utils.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+extends GutTest
+
+const TEST_ROOT: String = "user://test_clean_dir"
+
+
+func after_each() -> void:
+	_force_delete_directory(TEST_ROOT)
+
+
+func test_delete_directory_recursive_removes_hidden_files() -> void:
+	# Regression test: the macOS Finder drops .DS_Store files in browsed
+	# folders; deletion used to fail silently on them, breaking the
+	# language pack swap in PackageDownloader
+	_create_file(TEST_ROOT.path_join("visible.txt"))
+	_create_file(TEST_ROOT.path_join(".hidden"))
+	_create_file(TEST_ROOT.path_join("sub").path_join(".hidden_nested"))
+
+	Utils.delete_directory_recursive(TEST_ROOT)
+
+	assert_false(DirAccess.dir_exists_absolute(TEST_ROOT), "directory with hidden files should be fully deleted")
+
+
+func test_clean_dir_keeps_root_and_removes_all_content() -> void:
+	_create_file(TEST_ROOT.path_join("visible.txt"))
+	_create_file(TEST_ROOT.path_join("sub").path_join("nested.txt"))
+
+	var error: Error = Utils.clean_dir(TEST_ROOT)
+
+	assert_eq(error, OK)
+	assert_true(DirAccess.dir_exists_absolute(TEST_ROOT), "root directory should be kept")
+	var dir: DirAccess = DirAccess.open(TEST_ROOT)
+	dir.include_hidden = true
+	assert_eq(dir.get_files().size(), 0, "all files should be removed")
+	assert_eq(dir.get_directories().size(), 0, "all subdirectories should be removed")
+
+
+func test_clean_dir_returns_error_on_missing_directory() -> void:
+	var error: Error = Utils.clean_dir("user://test_clean_dir_does_not_exist")
+
+	assert_ne(error, OK)
+
+
+func _create_file(path: String) -> void:
+	DirAccess.make_dir_recursive_absolute(path.get_base_dir())
+	var file: FileAccess = FileAccess.open(path, FileAccess.WRITE)
+	assert_not_null(file, "test setup should be able to create %s" % path)
+	file.store_string("test")
+	file.close()
+
+
+# Cleanup helper independent from the code under test
+func _force_delete_directory(path: String) -> void:
+	if not DirAccess.dir_exists_absolute(path):
+		return
+	var dir: DirAccess = DirAccess.open(path)
+	if dir == null:
+		return
+	dir.include_hidden = true
+	for file: String in dir.get_files():
+		dir.remove(file)
+	for subfolder: String in dir.get_directories():
+		_force_delete_directory(path.path_join(subfolder))
+	DirAccess.remove_absolute(path)