src/shared/file_receive.c

@@ -3099,10 +3099,35 @@ static bool delete_missing_args_budgeted(const Config* config, DeleteManifest* m
         free(leaf);
         leaf = NULL;
         if (config->use_delete || config->force_delete) {
-          if (!file_remove_tree_secure(full))
+          /* Remove the contents entry-by-entry through the budgeted extras
+             walker so every deleted file/dir counts toward --max-delete (rsync
+             parity); the now-empty directory itself costs one more.  A run that
+             hits the cap leaves the remaining entries in place. */
+          ArrayList* no_keeps = array_list_create(free);
+          size_t remaining = budget->max_delete - budget->deleted;
+          size_t contents_deleted = 0;
+          size_t contents_skipped = 0;
+          DeleteWalkResult walk =
+              no_keeps ? delete_extras_limited(full, no_keeps, NULL, remaining, NULL, 0,
+                                               &contents_deleted, &contents_skipped)
+                       : DELETE_WALK_ERROR;
+          if (no_keeps)
+            array_list_delete(no_keeps);
+          budget->deleted += contents_deleted;
+          budget->skipped += contents_skipped;
+          if (walk == DELETE_WALK_LIMIT_REACHED) {
+            budget->limit_hit = true;
+          } else if (walk != DELETE_WALK_OK) {
             ok = false;
-          else
+          } else if (budget->deleted >= budget->max_delete) {
+            budget->limit_hit = true;
+            budget->skipped++;
+          } else if (file_remove_tree_secure(full)) {
+            budget->deleted++;
             removed = true;
+          } else {
+            ok = false;
+          }
         } else {
           char* escaped = output_escape(rel, log_get_8_bit_output());
           log_message(LOG_LEVEL_WARNING,

tests/integration/test_features.py

@@ -2853,6 +2853,36 @@ class TestMissingArgs:
                 f"missing-args deletions ignored the --max-delete budget: {remaining}"
             assert os.path.isfile(os.path.join(received, "a.txt"))
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("mt", [False, True])
+    def test_delete_missing_nonempty_dir_counts_each_entry_against_budget(self, mt):
+        """A non-empty missing-arg directory with --force/--delete is removed
+        entry-by-entry, each counting toward --max-delete (rsync parity): with a
+        small cap the run stops after N files and leaves the rest in place."""
+        source = self._make_source("mg_dirbudget_src")
+        dest = os.path.join(TEST_DATA_DIR, "mg_dirbudget_dst")
+        clean_dir(dest)
+        with ServerManager() as server:
+            server.start(extra_args=["--allow-delete"])
+            result, _ = run_client(source, dest, port=server.port)
+            assert result.returncode == 0, f"seed failed: {result.stderr[:200]}"
+            received = get_dest_received_dir(dest, source)
+            gone = os.path.join(received, "gone")
+            os.makedirs(gone)
+            for i in range(4):
+                with open(os.path.join(gone, f"f{i}"), "w") as fh:
+                    fh.write("stale")
+            lst = _write_rel_list(b"a.txt\ngone\n")
+            flags = ["--files-from", lst, "--delete-missing-args", "--force",
+                     "--max-delete=2"] + (["--threads"] if mt else [])
+            result, _ = run_client(source, dest, flags=flags, port=server.port)
+            assert result.returncode == 25, \
+                f"non-empty missing-arg dir should cap at 2 and exit 25: {result.stderr[:300]}"
+            assert os.path.isdir(gone), \
+                "the non-empty missing-arg directory should survive a capped run"
+            remaining = len(os.listdir(gone))
+            assert remaining == 2, f"expected 2 entries left, found {remaining}"
+            assert os.path.isfile(os.path.join(received, "a.txt"))
+
     @pytest.mark.parametrize("mt", [False, True])
     def test_delete_missing_args_not_blocked_by_exclude_protection(self, mt):
         """A missing-arg mirror that sits under a filter-excluded directory is an