CHANGELOG.md

+## [1.3.2](https://git.gitlab.arm.com/semantic-release/uv/compare/v1.3.1...v1.3.2) (2025-07-30)
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+- remove dist if buildDirectory does not exist
+  ([6ef5a51](https://git.gitlab.arm.com/semantic-release/uv/commit/6ef5a51f4ed8f8d218eb1b7c401503dba038cb53))
+
 ## [1.3.1](https://git.gitlab.arm.com/semantic-release/uv/compare/v1.3.0...v1.3.1) (2025-07-30)
 
 ### Bug Fixes

package.json

 {
   "name": "@semantic-release/uv",
-  "version": "1.3.1",
+  "version": "1.3.2",
   "description": "A `semantic release` plugin for `uv`",
   "config": {
     "version": "0.8.3",

plugin.mjs

 import os from 'node:os';
+import path from 'node:path';
 import {rmSync} from 'node:fs';
 import SemanticReleaseError from '@semantic-release/error';
 import debug from 'debug';
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ async function uv(pluginConfig, context, ...args) {
 }
 
 export async function verifyConditions(pluginConfig, context) {
-	const {logger, env} = context;
+	const {logger, env, cwd} = context;
 	const {repositories: repositoriesData = {}, buildDirectory, uv: cli = await find()} = pluginConfig;
 
 	/* c8 ignore next */
@@ -60,7 +61,8 @@ export async function verifyConditions(pluginConfig, context) {
 	await uv(pluginConfig, context, 'build', ...args);
 	logger.success('Project builds');
 
-	rmSync(`${buildDirectory}`, {recursive: true, force: true});
+	const outDirectory = buildDirectory === undefined ? path.join(cwd, 'dist') : buildDirectory;
+	rmSync(`${outDirectory}`, {recursive: true, force: true});
 
 	debug('Validating `uv` repositories: %j', repositoriesData);