diff --git a/mercurial/cmdutil.py b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
@@ -2071,6 +2071,7 @@ def remove(ui, repo, m, prefix, after, f
                                % join(subpath))
 
     # warn about failure to delete explicit files/dirs
+    deleteddirs = scmutil.dirs(deleted)
     for f in m.files():
         def insubrepo():
             for subpath in wctx.substate:
@@ -2078,7 +2079,8 @@ def remove(ui, repo, m, prefix, after, f
                     return True
             return False
 
-        if f in repo.dirstate or f in wctx.dirs() or f == '.' or insubrepo():
+        isdir = f in deleteddirs or f in wctx.dirs()
+        if f in repo.dirstate or isdir or f == '.' or insubrepo():
             continue
 
         if repo.wvfs.exists(f):
diff --git a/mercurial/context.py b/mercurial/context.py
--- a/mercurial/context.py
+++ b/mercurial/context.py
@@ -1289,9 +1289,6 @@ class committablectx(basectx):
         self._repo.dirstate.setparents(node)
         self._repo.dirstate.endparentchange()
 
-    def dirs(self):
-        return self._repo.dirstate.dirs()
-
 class workingctx(committablectx):
     """A workingctx object makes access to data related to
     the current working directory convenient.