diff --git a/lib/internal/fs/rimraf.js b/lib/internal/fs/rimraf.js
index 60310e1cf9427e..d6330fbe4399a0 100644
--- a/lib/internal/fs/rimraf.js
+++ b/lib/internal/fs/rimraf.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ const {
 } = require('fs');
 const { join } = require('path');
 const { setTimeout } = require('timers');
+const { sleep } = require('internal/util');
 const notEmptyErrorCodes = new Set(['ENOTEMPTY', 'EEXIST', 'EPERM']);
 const retryErrorCodes = new Set(
   ['EBUSY', 'EMFILE', 'ENFILE', 'ENOTEMPTY', 'EPERM']);
@@ -208,10 +209,13 @@ function _rmdirSync(path, options, originalErr) {
         rimrafSync(join(path, child), options);
       });
 
-      for (let i = 0; i < options.maxRetries + 1; i++) {
+      for (let i = 1; i <= options.maxRetries + 1; i++) {
         try {
           return rmdirSync(path, options);
-        } catch {} // Ignore errors.
+        } catch {
+          if (options.retryDelay > 0)
+            sleep(i * options.retryDelay);
+        }
       }
     }
   }