diff --git a/internal/operator-controller/catalogmetadata/cache/cache.go b/internal/operator-controller/catalogmetadata/cache/cache.go
index 8bcfff10fc..37f57d540c 100644
--- a/internal/operator-controller/catalogmetadata/cache/cache.go
+++ b/internal/operator-controller/catalogmetadata/cache/cache.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/alpha/declcfg"
@@ -75,10 +76,15 @@ func (fsc *filesystemCache) Put(catalogName, resolvedRef string, source io.Reade
 func (fsc *filesystemCache) writeFS(catalogName string, source io.Reader) (fs.FS, error) {
 	cacheDir := fsc.cacheDir(catalogName)
 
+	if err := fsc.removeOrphanedTempDirs(catalogName); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	tmpDir, err := os.MkdirTemp(fsc.cachePath, fmt.Sprintf(".%s-", catalogName))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating temporary directory to unpack catalog metadata: %v", err)
 	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
 
 	if err := declcfg.WalkMetasReader(source, func(meta *declcfg.Meta, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
@@ -164,3 +170,26 @@ func (fsc *filesystemCache) Remove(catalogName string) error {
 func (fsc *filesystemCache) cacheDir(catalogName string) string {
 	return filepath.Join(fsc.cachePath, catalogName)
 }
+
+// removeOrphanedTempDirs removes temporary staging directories left behind by a
+// previous writeFS call for the given catalog that was interrupted before the
+// rename (e.g. pod eviction or crash). Temp dirs use the prefix ".{catalogName}-"
+// as created by os.MkdirTemp. This method must be called while the write lock is held.
+func (fsc *filesystemCache) removeOrphanedTempDirs(catalogName string) error {
+	entries, err := os.ReadDir(fsc.cachePath)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error reading cache directory: %w", err)
+	}
+	prefix := fmt.Sprintf(".%s-", catalogName)
+	for _, entry := range entries {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(entry.Name(), prefix) {
+			if err := os.RemoveAll(filepath.Join(fsc.cachePath, entry.Name())); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error removing orphaned temp directory %q: %w", entry.Name(), err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/operator-controller/catalogmetadata/cache/cache_test.go b/internal/operator-controller/catalogmetadata/cache/cache_test.go
index ccc796082f..7f1a5713b3 100644
--- a/internal/operator-controller/catalogmetadata/cache/cache_test.go
+++ b/internal/operator-controller/catalogmetadata/cache/cache_test.go
@@ -169,6 +169,30 @@ func TestFilesystemCacheRemove(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoDirExists(t, catalogCachePath)
 }
 
+func TestFilesystemCachePutCleansOrphanedTempDirs(t *testing.T) {
+	const catalogName = "test-catalog"
+	cacheDir := t.TempDir()
+	c := cache.NewFilesystemCache(cacheDir)
+
+	// Simulate temp dirs left behind by a previous interrupted Put for this catalog.
+	orphan1 := filepath.Join(cacheDir, ".test-catalog-1234567890")
+	orphan2 := filepath.Join(cacheDir, ".test-catalog-9876543210")
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(orphan1, 0700))
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(orphan2, 0700))
+
+	// A temp dir for a different catalog should NOT be removed.
+	otherOrphan := filepath.Join(cacheDir, ".other-catalog-1111111111")
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(otherOrphan, 0700))
+
+	_, err := c.Put(catalogName, "fake/catalog@sha256:fakesha", defaultContent(), nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.NoDirExists(t, orphan1, "orphaned temp dir for catalog should have been removed")
+	assert.NoDirExists(t, orphan2, "orphaned temp dir for catalog should have been removed")
+	assert.DirExists(t, otherOrphan, "temp dir for a different catalog should not be removed")
+	assert.DirExists(t, filepath.Join(cacheDir, catalogName), "real cache dir should exist")
+}
+
 func equalFilesystems(expected, actual fs.FS) error {
 	normalizeJSON := func(data []byte) []byte {
 		var v interface{}