diff --git a/ipatests/test_xmlrpc/test_user_plugin.py b/ipatests/test_xmlrpc/test_user_plugin.py
index 18305ad02..3d7b5e6ba 100644
--- a/ipatests/test_xmlrpc/test_user_plugin.py
+++ b/ipatests/test_xmlrpc/test_user_plugin.py
@@ -1619,6 +1619,11 @@ class test_denied_bind_with_expired_principal(XMLRPC_test):
         cls.connection = ldap.initialize('ldap://{host}'
                                          .format(host=api.env.host))
 
+    @classmethod
+    def teardown_class(cls):
+        cls.failsafe_del(api.Object.user, user1)
+        super(test_denied_bind_with_expired_principal, cls).teardown_class()
+
     def test_1_bind_as_test_user(self):
         self.failsafe_add(
             api.Object.user,
diff --git a/ipatests/test_xmlrpc/xmlrpc_test.py b/ipatests/test_xmlrpc/xmlrpc_test.py
index 80638e2ef..a7251f695 100644
--- a/ipatests/test_xmlrpc/xmlrpc_test.py
+++ b/ipatests/test_xmlrpc/xmlrpc_test.py
@@ -195,11 +195,20 @@ class XMLRPC_test(object):
         :param pk: The primary key of the entry to be created
         :param options: Kwargs to be passed to obj.add()
         """
+        self.failsafe_del(obj, pk)
+        return obj.methods['add'](pk, **options)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def failsafe_del(cls, obj, pk):
+        """
+        Delete an entry if it exists
+        :param obj: An Object like api.Object.user
+        :param pk: The primary key of the entry to be deleted
+        """
         try:
             obj.methods['del'](pk)
         except errors.NotFound:
             pass
-        return obj.methods['add'](pk, **options)
 
 
 IGNORE = """Command %r is missing attribute %r in output entry.