diff --git a/src/uu/mknod/src/mknod.rs b/src/uu/mknod/src/mknod.rs
index 558717a8d24..9ab0af0572d 100644
--- a/src/uu/mknod/src/mknod.rs
+++ b/src/uu/mknod/src/mknod.rs
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ fn mknod(file_name: &str, config: Config) -> i32 {
                 config.context,
             ) {
                 // if it fails, delete the file
-                let _ = std::fs::remove_dir(file_name);
+                let _ = std::fs::remove_file(file_name);
                 eprintln!("{}: {}", uucore::util_name(), e);
                 return 1;
             }
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_mknod.rs b/tests/by-util/test_mknod.rs
index 304f2b4a8a6..1bcae7ea31a 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_mknod.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_mknod.rs
@@ -240,3 +240,21 @@ fn test_mknod_selinux_invalid() {
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[test]
+#[cfg(feature = "feat_selinux")]
+fn test_mknod_selinux_invalid_cleanup() {
+    let scene = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    let at = &scene.fixtures;
+    let dest = "test_fifo";
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .arg("--context=invalid_context_t")
+        .arg(at.plus_as_string(dest))
+        .arg("p")
+        .fails()
+        .no_stdout();
+
+    // invalid context → node must not exist
+    assert!(!at.file_exists(dest));
+}