diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/clean.py b/Lib/distutils/command/clean.py
index 9785de9..4f0f7e3 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/clean.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/clean.py
@@ -12,13 +12,14 @@
 
 class clean (Command):
 
-    description = "clean files we built"
+    description = "clean up output of 'build' command"
     user_options = [
-        ('build-base=', 'b', "base directory for build library"),
+        ('build-base=', 'b',
+         "base build directory (default: 'build.build-base')"),
         ('build-lib=', None,
-         "build directory for all distribution (defaults to either " +
-         "build-purelib or build-platlib"),
-        ('build-temp=', 't', "temporary build directory"),
+         "build directory for all modules (default: 'build.build-lib')"),
+        ('build-temp=', 't',
+         "temporary build directory (default: 'build.build-temp')"),
         ('all', 'a',
          "remove all build output, not just temporary by-products")
     ]
@@ -30,15 +31,34 @@
         self.all = None
 
     def finalize_options(self):
+        if self.build_lib and not os.path.exists (self.build_lib):
+            self.warn ("'%s' does not exist -- can't clean it" %
+                       self.build_lib)
+        if self.build_temp and not os.path.exists (self.build_temp):
+            self.warn ("'%s' does not exist -- can't clean it" %
+                       self.build_temp)
+
         self.set_undefined_options('build',
 	    ('build_base', 'build_base'),
 	    ('build_lib', 'build_lib'),
 	    ('build_temp', 'build_temp'))
 
     def run(self):
-        # remove the build/temp.<plat> directory
-        remove_tree (self.build_temp, self.verbose, self.dry_run)
+        # remove the build/temp.<plat> directory (unless it's already
+        # gone)
+        if os.path.exists (self.build_temp):
+            remove_tree (self.build_temp, self.verbose, self.dry_run)
 
         if self.all:
-            # remove the build/lib resp. build/platlib directory
-            remove_tree (self.build_lib, self.verbose, self.dry_run)
+            # remove the module build directory (unless already gone)
+            if os.path.exists (self.build_lib):
+                remove_tree (self.build_lib, self.verbose, self.dry_run)
+
+        # just for the heck of it, try to remove the base build directory:
+        # we might have emptied it right now, but if not we don't care
+        if not self.dry_run:
+            try:
+                os.rmdir (self.build_base)
+                self.announce ("removing '%s'" % self.build_base)
+            except OSError:
+                pass