diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/util/FileUtils.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/util/FileUtils.java
index 23312acd1..406eebeda 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/util/FileUtils.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/util/FileUtils.java
@@ -196,4 +196,15 @@ public final class FileUtils {
             throw new FileNotFoundException("File " + file.getAbsolutePath() + " not found.");
         }
     }
+
+    public static void maybeDeleteFileOrThrow(File file) throws IOException {
+        if (!file.exists()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        boolean successfullyDeleted = file.delete();
+        if (!successfullyDeleted) {
+            throw new IOException("Could not delete file " + file);
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/smack-openpgp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ox/store/filebased/FileBasedOpenPgpKeyStore.java b/smack-openpgp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ox/store/filebased/FileBasedOpenPgpKeyStore.java
index 277ca3986..3935dd44a 100644
--- a/smack-openpgp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ox/store/filebased/FileBasedOpenPgpKeyStore.java
+++ b/smack-openpgp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ox/store/filebased/FileBasedOpenPgpKeyStore.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package org.jivesoftware.smackx.ox.store.filebased;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileInputStream;
-import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.OutputStream;
 import java.util.Date;
@@ -68,12 +67,7 @@ public class FileBasedOpenPgpKeyStore extends AbstractOpenPgpKeyStore {
         File file = getPublicKeyRingPath(owner);
 
         if (publicKeys == null) {
-            if (!file.exists()) {
-                return;
-            }
-            if (!file.delete()) {
-                throw new IOException("Could not delete file " + file.getAbsolutePath());
-            }
+            FileUtils.maybeDeleteFileOrThrow(file);
             return;
         }
 
@@ -91,12 +85,7 @@ public class FileBasedOpenPgpKeyStore extends AbstractOpenPgpKeyStore {
         File file = getSecretKeyRingPath(owner);
 
         if (secretKeys == null) {
-            if (!file.exists()) {
-                return;
-            }
-            if (!file.delete()) {
-                throw new IOException("Could not delete file " + file.getAbsolutePath());
-            }
+            FileUtils.maybeDeleteFileOrThrow(file);
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/smack-openpgp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ox/store/filebased/FileBasedOpenPgpMetadataStore.java b/smack-openpgp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ox/store/filebased/FileBasedOpenPgpMetadataStore.java
index dc2943c1f..25bba77bc 100644
--- a/smack-openpgp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ox/store/filebased/FileBasedOpenPgpMetadataStore.java
+++ b/smack-openpgp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ox/store/filebased/FileBasedOpenPgpMetadataStore.java
@@ -122,12 +122,7 @@ public class FileBasedOpenPgpMetadataStore extends AbstractOpenPgpMetadataStore
             throws IOException {
 
         if (data == null || data.isEmpty()) {
-            if (!destination.exists()) {
-                return;
-            }
-            if (!destination.delete()) {
-                throw new IOException("Cannot delete file " + destination.getAbsolutePath());
-            }
+            FileUtils.maybeDeleteFileOrThrow(destination);
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/smack-openpgp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ox/store/filebased/FileBasedOpenPgpTrustStore.java b/smack-openpgp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ox/store/filebased/FileBasedOpenPgpTrustStore.java
index 22d8f0870..3eb298721 100644
--- a/smack-openpgp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ox/store/filebased/FileBasedOpenPgpTrustStore.java
+++ b/smack-openpgp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/ox/store/filebased/FileBasedOpenPgpTrustStore.java
@@ -99,12 +99,7 @@ public class FileBasedOpenPgpTrustStore extends AbstractOpenPgpTrustStore {
         File file = getTrustPath(owner, fingerprint);
 
         if (trust == null || trust == Trust.undecided) {
-            if (!file.exists()) {
-                return;
-            }
-            if (!file.delete()) {
-                throw new IOException("Could not delete file " + file.getAbsolutePath());
-            }
+            FileUtils.maybeDeleteFileOrThrow(file);
         }
 
         File parent = file.getParentFile();