diff --git a/packages/agoric-cli/src/start.js b/packages/agoric-cli/src/start.js
index c9df6f087f28..d9aa1bcbe7e5 100644
--- a/packages/agoric-cli/src/start.js
+++ b/packages/agoric-cli/src/start.js
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ export default async function startMain(progname, rawArgs, powers, opts) {
 
     await null;
     if (popts.reset) {
-      rmVerbose(serverDir);
+      await rmVerbose(serverDir);
     }
 
     if (!opts.dockerTag) {
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ export default async function startMain(progname, rawArgs, powers, opts) {
 
     const serverDir = `${SERVERS_ROOT_DIR}/${profileName}-${portNum}`;
     if (popts.reset) {
-      rmVerbose(serverDir);
+      await rmVerbose(serverDir);
     }
 
     let chainSpawn;
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ export default async function startMain(progname, rawArgs, powers, opts) {
     }
 
     if (popts.reset) {
-      rmVerbose(serverDir);
+      await rmVerbose(serverDir);
     }
 
     let soloSpawn;
@@ -704,7 +704,7 @@ export default async function startMain(progname, rawArgs, powers, opts) {
     const serverDir = `${SERVERS_ROOT_DIR}/${profileName}-${port}`;
 
     if (popts.reset) {
-      rmVerbose(serverDir);
+      await rmVerbose(serverDir);
     }
 
     const setupRun = (...bonusArgs) =>
@@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ export default async function startMain(progname, rawArgs, powers, opts) {
 
     await null;
     if (popts.reset) {
-      rmVerbose(serverDir);
+      await rmVerbose(serverDir);
     }
 
     const setupRun = (...bonusArgs) =>