diff --git a/packages/autoupdate/autoupdate_cordova.js b/packages/autoupdate/autoupdate_cordova.js
index 2290c6d802..3cab024b6c 100644
--- a/packages/autoupdate/autoupdate_cordova.js
+++ b/packages/autoupdate/autoupdate_cordova.js
@@ -73,17 +73,21 @@ var restartServer = function (location) {
 };
 
 var hasCalledReload = false;
+var updating = false;
+var localPathPrefix = null;
+
 var onNewVersion = function () {
   var ft = new FileTransfer();
   var urlPrefix = Meteor.absoluteUrl() + '__cordova';
-
-  var localPathPrefix = cordova.file.dataDirectory + 'meteor/';
   HTTP.get(urlPrefix + '/manifest.json', function (err, res) {
     if (err || ! res.data) {
       log('Failed to download the manifest ' + (err && err.message) + ' ' + (res && res.content));
       return;
     }
 
+    updating = true;
+    ensureLocalPathPrefix();
+
     var program = res.data;
     var manifest = _.clone(program.manifest);
     var version = program.version;
@@ -113,8 +117,7 @@ var onNewVersion = function () {
 
         // success! downloaded all sources and saved the manifest
         // save the version string for atomicity
-        writeFile(localPathPrefix, 'version', version,
-            function (err) {
+        writeFile(localPathPrefix, 'version', version, function (err) {
           if (err) {
             log("Failed to write version: " + err);
             return;
@@ -122,9 +125,7 @@ var onNewVersion = function () {
 
           // don't call reload twice!
           if (! hasCalledReload) {
-            // relative to 'bundle.app/www'
-            var location =
-              decodeURI(localPathPrefix + version).replace(/^file:\/\//, '');
+            var location = uriToPath(localPathPrefix + version);
             restartServer(location);
           }
         });
@@ -214,5 +215,78 @@ Autoupdate._retrySubscription = function () {
   }
 };
 
+Meteor.startup(function () {
+  clearAutoupdateCache(autoupdateVersionCordova);
+});
 Meteor.startup(Autoupdate._retrySubscription);
 
+
+// A helper that removes old directories left from previous autoupdates
+var clearAutoupdateCache = function (currentVersion) {
+  ensureLocalPathPrefix();
+  // Try to clean up our cache directory, make sure to scan the directory
+  // *before* loading the actual app. This ordering will prevent race
+  // conditions when the app code tries to download a new version before
+  // the old-cache removal has scanned the cache folder.
+  listDirectory(localPathPrefix, {dirsOnly: true}, function (err, names) {
+    // Couldn't get the list of dirs or risking to get into a race with an
+    // on-going update to disk.
+    if (err || updating) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    _.each(names, function (name) {
+      // Skip the folder with the latest version
+      if (name === currentVersion)
+        return;
+
+      // remove everything else, as we don't want to keep too much cache
+      // around on disk
+      removeDirectory(localPathPrefix + name + '/', function (err) {
+        if (err) {
+          log('Failed to remove an old cache folder '
+              + name + ':' + err.message);
+        } else {
+          log('Successfully removed an old cache folder ' + name);
+        }
+      });
+    });
+  });
+};
+
+// Cordova File plugin helpers
+var listDirectory = function (url, options, cb) {
+  if (typeof options === 'function')
+    cb = options, options = {};
+
+  var fail = function (err) { cb(err); };
+  window.resolveLocalFileSystemURL(url, function (entry) {
+    var reader = entry.createReader();
+    reader.readEntries(function (entries) {
+      var names = [];
+      _.each(entries, function (entry) {
+        if (! options.dirsOnly || entry.isDirectory)
+          names.push(entry.name);
+      });
+      cb(null, names);
+    }, fail);
+  }, fail);
+};
+
+var removeDirectory = function (url, cb) {
+  var fail = function (err) {
+    cb(err);
+  };
+  window.resolveLocalFileSystemURL(url, function (entry) {
+    entry.removeRecursively(function () { cb(); }, fail);
+  }, fail);
+};
+
+var uriToPath = function (uri) {
+  return decodeURI(uri).replace(/^file:\/\//g, '');
+};
+
+var ensureLocalPathPrefix = function () {
+  localPathPrefix = localPathPrefix || cordova.file.dataDirectory + 'meteor/';
+};
+
diff --git a/tools/client/meteor_cordova_loader.js b/tools/client/meteor_cordova_loader.js
index 346e68afbd..ad6a9c9e9c 100644
--- a/tools/client/meteor_cordova_loader.js
+++ b/tools/client/meteor_cordova_loader.js
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
   var log = function (msg) {
     console.log(DEBUG_TAG + msg);
   };
+  var uriToPath = function (uri) {
+    return decodeURI(uri).replace(/^file:\/\//g, '');
+  };
   var readFile = function (url, cb) {
     window.resolveLocalFileSystemURL(url, function (fileEntry) {
       var success = function (file) {
@@ -32,21 +35,11 @@
     });
   };
 
-  var each = function (array, f) {
-    for (var i = 0; i < array.length; i++)
-      f(array[i], i, array);
-  };
-
-
-  var stripLeadingSlash = function (p) {
-    if (p.charAt(0) !== '/')
-      throw new Error("bad path: " + p);
-    return p.slice(1);
-  };
-
   var loadTries = 0;
   var loadFromLocation = function (location) {
-    var cordovaRoot = decodeURI(window.location.href).replace(/\/index.html$/, '/').replace(/^file:\/\/?/, '');
+    var cordovaRoot =
+      uriToPath(window.location.href).replace(/\/index.html$/, '/');
+
     var httpd = cordova && cordova.plugins && cordova.plugins.CordovaUpdate;
 
     var retry = function () {
@@ -85,41 +78,14 @@
       log('No new versions saved to disk.');
     }
     var location = cordova.file.applicationDirectory + 'www/application/';
-    location = decodeURI(location).replace(/^file:\/\//g, '');
+    location = uriToPath(location);
 
     loadFromLocation(location);
   };
 
-  var listDirectory = function (url, options, cb) {
-    if (typeof options === 'function')
-      cb = options, options = {};
-
-    var fail = function (err) { cb(err); };
-    window.resolveLocalFileSystemURL(url, function (entry) {
-      var reader = entry.createReader();
-      reader.readEntries(function (entries) {
-        var names = [];
-        each(entries, function (entry) {
-          if (! options.dirsOnly || entry.isDirectory)
-            names.push(entry.name);
-        });
-        cb(null, names);
-      }, fail);
-    }, fail);
-  };
-
-  var removeDirectory = function (url, cb) {
-    var fail = function (err) {
-      cb(err);
-    };
-    window.resolveLocalFileSystemURL(url, function (entry) {
-      entry.removeRecursively(function () { cb(); }, fail);
-    }, fail);
-  };
-
   var loadVersion = function (version, localPathPrefix) {
     var versionPrefix = localPathPrefix + version + '/';
-    var location = decodeURI(versionPrefix).replace(/^file:\/\//g, '')
+    var location = uriToPath(versionPrefix);
     loadFromLocation(location);
   };
 
@@ -131,31 +97,7 @@
         return;
       }
 
-      // Try to clean up our cache directory, make sure to scan the directory
-      // *before* loading the actual app. This ordering will prevent race
-      // conditions when the app code tries to download a new version before
-      // the old-cache removal has scanned the cache folder.
-      listDirectory(localPathPrefix, {dirsOnly: true}, function (err, names) {
-        loadVersion(version, localPathPrefix);
-
-        if (err) return;
-        each(names, function (name) {
-          // Skip the folder with the latest version
-          if (name === version)
-            return;
-
-          // remove everything else, as we don't want to keep too much cache
-          // around on disk
-          removeDirectory(localPathPrefix + name + '/', function (err) {
-            if (err) {
-              log('Failed to remove an old cache folder '
-                  + name + ':' + err.message);
-            } else {
-              log('Successfully removed an old cache folder ' + name);
-            }
-          });
-        });
-      });
+      loadVersion(version, localPathPrefix);
     });
   };
 
diff --git a/tools/commands-cordova.js b/tools/commands-cordova.js
index f7ccd02201..278d0237dc 100644
--- a/tools/commands-cordova.js
+++ b/tools/commands-cordova.js
@@ -1562,6 +1562,8 @@ _.extend(IOS.prototype, {
       okay = fix;
     }
 
+    if (!okay) return okay;
+
     //Check if the full Xcode package is already installed:
     //
     //  $ xcode-select -p
@@ -1581,6 +1583,8 @@ _.extend(IOS.prototype, {
       }
     }
 
+    if (!okay) return okay;
+
     _.each(['5.0', '5.0.1', '5.1', '6.0', '6.1'], function (version) {
       if (self.isSdkInstalled(version)) {
         log && Console.warn("An old version of the iPhone SDK is installed (" + version + "); you should");
@@ -1975,6 +1979,8 @@ _.extend(Android.prototype, {
       okay = fix;
     }
 
+    if (!okay) return okay;
+
     // (hasAcceleration can also be undefined)
     var hasAcceleration = self.hasAcceleration();
     if (hasAcceleration === false) {
@@ -1986,6 +1992,8 @@ _.extend(Android.prototype, {
       log && Console.info(Console.success("HAXM is installed"));
     }
 
+    if (!okay) return okay;
+
     if (self.hasAndroidBundle()) {
       log && Console.info(Console.success("Found Android bundle"));
     } else {
@@ -1995,6 +2003,8 @@ _.extend(Android.prototype, {
       okay = fix;
     }
 
+    if (!okay) return okay;
+
     if (self.hasTarget('19', 'default/x86')) {
       log && Console.info(Console.success("Found suitable Android API libraries"));
     } else {
@@ -2004,6 +2014,8 @@ _.extend(Android.prototype, {
       okay = fix;
     }
 
+    if (!okay) return okay;
+
     var avdName = self.getAvdName();
     if (self.hasAvd(avdName)) {
       log && Console.info(Console.success("'" + avdName + "' android virtual device (AVD) found"));