diff --git a/EESSI-remove-software.sh b/EESSI-remove-software.sh
index 446a156cb8..1eae19c572 100755
--- a/EESSI-remove-software.sh
+++ b/EESSI-remove-software.sh
@@ -112,7 +112,9 @@ if [ $EUID -eq 0 ]; then
                     app_dir=${EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH}/software/${app}
                     app_module=${EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH}/modules/all/${app}.lua
                     echo_yellow "Removing ${app_dir} and ${app_module}..."
-                    rm -rf ${app_dir}
+                    #chmod -R u+w ${app_dir}
+                    rm -rf ${app_dir}/*
+                    #mv ${app_dir} ${app_dir}.orig
                     rm -rf ${app_module}
                 done
             else
diff --git a/bot/build.sh b/bot/build.sh
index dcc61c19d4..c572eae3cc 100755
--- a/bot/build.sh
+++ b/bot/build.sh
@@ -213,6 +213,9 @@ else
     # this is important, as otherwise the removed software will still be there
     REMOVAL_TMPDIR=$(grep ' as tmp directory ' ${removal_outerr} | cut -d ' ' -f 2)
     BUILD_STEP_ARGS+=("--resume" "${REMOVAL_TMPDIR}")
+
+    # purge cvmfs cache
+    # rm -rf /tmp/bot/EESSI/eessi.8Pu3nrRvdR/var-lib-cvmfs/*
 fi
 
 # prepare directory to store tarball of tmp for build step
diff --git a/easystacks/software.eessi.io/2023.06/rebuilds/20240430-eb-4.9.1-hatchling-debug.yml b/easystacks/software.eessi.io/2023.06/rebuilds/20240430-eb-4.9.1-hatchling-debug.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a86921f1af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/easystacks/software.eessi.io/2023.06/rebuilds/20240430-eb-4.9.1-hatchling-debug.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# 2024-04-30
+# Debug the issue observed in https://github.com/EESSI/software-layer/pull/546
+easyconfigs:
+  - Python-3.11.5-GCCcore-13.2.0.eb
+  - hatchling-1.18.0-GCCcore-13.2.0.eb