diff --git a/hgext/rebase.py b/hgext/rebase.py
--- a/hgext/rebase.py
+++ b/hgext/rebase.py
@@ -1148,6 +1148,10 @@ def restorecollapsemsg(repo, isabort):
 def clearstatus(repo):
     'Remove the status files'
     _clearrebasesetvisibiliy(repo)
+    # Make sure the active transaction won't write the state file
+    tr = repo.currenttransaction()
+    if tr:
+        tr.removefilegenerator('rebasestate')
     repo.vfs.unlinkpath("rebasestate", ignoremissing=True)
 
 def needupdate(repo, state):
diff --git a/mercurial/transaction.py b/mercurial/transaction.py
--- a/mercurial/transaction.py
+++ b/mercurial/transaction.py
@@ -292,6 +292,12 @@ class transaction(object):
         # but for bookmarks that are handled outside this mechanism.
         self._filegenerators[genid] = (order, filenames, genfunc, location)
 
+    @active
+    def removefilegenerator(self, genid):
+        """reverse of addfilegenerator, remove a file generator function"""
+        if genid in self._filegenerators:
+            del self._filegenerators[genid]
+
     def _generatefiles(self, suffix='', group=gengroupall):
         # write files registered for generation
         any = False
diff --git a/tests/test-rebase-scenario-global.t b/tests/test-rebase-scenario-global.t
--- a/tests/test-rebase-scenario-global.t
+++ b/tests/test-rebase-scenario-global.t
@@ -954,4 +954,4 @@ Testing rebase being called inside anoth
   rebasing 2:dc0947a82db8 "C" (C tip)
 
   $ [ -f .hg/rebasestate ] && echo 'WRONG: rebasestate should not exist'
-  WRONG: rebasestate should not exist
+  [1]