diff --git a/eden/scm/sapling/cmdutil.py b/eden/scm/sapling/cmdutil.py
index 0f54aeba7696b..d688527ae7374 100644
--- a/eden/scm/sapling/cmdutil.py
+++ b/eden/scm/sapling/cmdutil.py
@@ -4726,13 +4726,11 @@ def _doregister(self, func, name, *args, **kwargs):
 summaryremotehooks = util.hooks()
 
 # A list of state files kept by multistep operations like graft.
-# Since graft cannot be aborted, it is considered 'clearable' by update.
 # note: bisect is intentionally excluded
-# (state file, clearable, allowcommit, error, hint)
+# (state file, allowcommit, error, hint)
 unfinishedstates = [
     (
         "graftstate",
-        True,
         False,
         _("graft in progress"),
         _("use '@prog@ graft --continue' or '@prog@ graft --abort' to abort"),
@@ -4740,13 +4738,11 @@ def _doregister(self, func, name, *args, **kwargs):
     (
         "updatemergestate",
         True,
-        True,
         _("update --merge in progress"),
         _("use '@prog@ goto --continue' to continue"),
     ),
     (
         "updatestate",
-        True,
         False,
         _("last update was interrupted"),
         _(
@@ -4763,25 +4759,13 @@ def checkunfinished(repo, commit=False):
     if found. It's probably good to check this right before
     bailifchanged().
     """
-    for f, clearable, allowcommit, msg, hint in unfinishedstates:
+    for f, allowcommit, msg, hint in unfinishedstates:
         if commit and allowcommit:
             continue
         if repo.localvfs.exists(f):
             raise error.Abort(msg, hint=hint)
 
 
-def clearunfinished(repo):
-    """Check for unfinished operations (as above), and clear the ones
-    that are clearable.
-    """
-    for f, clearable, allowcommit, msg, hint in unfinishedstates:
-        if not clearable and repo.localvfs.exists(f):
-            raise error.Abort(msg, hint=hint)
-    for f, clearable, allowcommit, msg, hint in unfinishedstates:
-        if clearable and repo.localvfs.exists(f):
-            util.unlink(repo.localvfs.join(f))
-
-
 afterresolvedstates = [
     ("graftstate", _("@prog@ graft --continue")),
     ("updatemergestate", _("@prog@ goto --continue")),
diff --git a/eden/scm/sapling/commands/__init__.py b/eden/scm/sapling/commands/__init__.py
index 962c38382ff8e..d3242678f8ec5 100644
--- a/eden/scm/sapling/commands/__init__.py
+++ b/eden/scm/sapling/commands/__init__.py
@@ -6408,6 +6408,9 @@ def abort_on_unresolved_conflicts():
                 repo.ui.warn(_("continuing checkout to '%s'\n") % rev)
             else:
                 raise error.Abort(_("not in an interrupted update state"))
+    else:
+        # proactively clean this up if we aren't continuing
+        repo.localvfs.tryunlink("updatestate")
 
     if rev is not None and rev != "" and node is not None:
         raise error.Abort(_("please specify just one revision"))
@@ -6458,11 +6461,17 @@ def abort_on_unresolved_conflicts():
         updatecheck = "none"
 
     with repo.wlock():
-        if not clean:
-            # Don't delete the "updatemergestate" marker if we have conflicts.
+        # Don't delete the "updatemergestate" marker if we have conflicts.
+        if clean:
+            repo.localvfs.tryunlink("updatemergestate")
+        else:
             abort_on_unresolved_conflicts()
 
-        cmdutil.clearunfinished(repo)
+        # Either we consumed this with "--continue" or we ignoring it with a
+        # different destination.
+        repo.localvfs.tryunlink("updatestate")
+
+        cmdutil.checkunfinished(repo)
 
         if date:
             rev = hex(cmdutil.finddate(ui, repo, date))
diff --git a/eden/scm/sapling/ext/histedit.py b/eden/scm/sapling/ext/histedit.py
index 9dd9e928a2b1d..fcab552eb6b06 100644
--- a/eden/scm/sapling/ext/histedit.py
+++ b/eden/scm/sapling/ext/histedit.py
@@ -1723,7 +1723,6 @@ def extsetup(ui):
     cmdutil.unfinishedstates.append(
         [
             "histedit-state",
-            False,
             True,
             _("histedit in progress"),
             _("use '@prog@ histedit --continue' or '@prog@ histedit --abort'"),
diff --git a/eden/scm/sapling/ext/rebase.py b/eden/scm/sapling/ext/rebase.py
index 29808b9777348..ea596872aaab1 100644
--- a/eden/scm/sapling/ext/rebase.py
+++ b/eden/scm/sapling/ext/rebase.py
@@ -2457,7 +2457,6 @@ def uisetup(ui) -> None:
         [
             "rebasestate",
             False,
-            False,
             _("rebase in progress"),
             _("use '@prog@ rebase --continue' or '@prog@ rebase --abort'"),
         ]
diff --git a/eden/scm/sapling/ext/shelve.py b/eden/scm/sapling/ext/shelve.py
index fa6bdb6d9e6ef..cfcb78e01452c 100644
--- a/eden/scm/sapling/ext/shelve.py
+++ b/eden/scm/sapling/ext/shelve.py
@@ -1247,7 +1247,6 @@ def extsetup(ui) -> None:
         [
             shelvedstate._filename,
             False,
-            False,
             _("unshelve already in progress"),
             _("use '@prog@ unshelve --continue' or '@prog@ unshelve --abort'"),
         ]
diff --git a/eden/scm/sapling/ext/undo.py b/eden/scm/sapling/ext/undo.py
index 37fc6fc36509c..7e072941c2c6d 100644
--- a/eden/scm/sapling/ext/undo.py
+++ b/eden/scm/sapling/ext/undo.py
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ def log(repo, command, tr):
 
 def unfinished(repo):
     """like cmdutil.checkunfinished without raising an Abort"""
-    for f, clearable, allowcommit, msg, hint in cmdutil.unfinishedstates:
+    for f, allowcommit, msg, hint in cmdutil.unfinishedstates:
         if repo.localvfs.exists(f):
             return True
     return False