diff --git a/src/cargo/ops/cargo_clean.rs b/src/cargo/ops/cargo_clean.rs
index 34c74afed5b..84970c90aee 100644
--- a/src/cargo/ops/cargo_clean.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/ops/cargo_clean.rs
@@ -73,8 +73,10 @@ pub fn clean(ws: &Workspace<'_>, opts: &CleanOptions<'_>) -> CargoResult<()> {
     if opts.explicit_target_dir_arg {
         let target_dir_path = target_dir.as_path_unlocked();
 
-        // check if the target directory has a valid CACHEDIR.TAG
-        if let Err(err) = validate_target_dir_tag(target_dir_path) {
+        // perform validation on target_dir only if it exists and check if the target directory has a valid CACHEDIR.TAG
+        if target_dir_path.exists()
+            && let Err(err) = validate_target_dir_tag(target_dir_path)
+        {
             // if target_dir was passed explicitly via --target-dir, then hard error if validation fails
             let title = format!("cannot clean `{}`: {err}", target_dir_path.display());
             let report = [Level::ERROR
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/clean.rs b/tests/testsuite/clean.rs
index 0ad0ed2869b..ccc294fe390 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/clean.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/clean.rs
@@ -1450,3 +1450,19 @@ fn config_target_dir_tag_valid() {
 
     p.cargo("clean").run();
 }
+
+#[cargo_test]
+fn explicit_target_dir_not_exists() {
+    let p = project()
+        .file("Cargo.toml", &basic_bin_manifest("foo"))
+        .file("src/foo.rs", &main_file(r#""i am foo""#, &[]))
+        .build();
+
+    // should not error if target_dir does not exist
+    p.cargo("clean --target-dir bar")
+        .with_stderr_data(str![[r#"
+[REMOVED] 0 files
+
+"#]])
+        .run();
+}
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/clean_new_layout.rs b/tests/testsuite/clean_new_layout.rs
index 0dd9c0149e7..425d09224a8 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/clean_new_layout.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/clean_new_layout.rs
@@ -1345,3 +1345,21 @@ fn config_target_dir_tag_valid() {
         .masquerade_as_nightly_cargo(&["new build-dir layout"])
         .run();
 }
+
+#[cargo_test]
+fn explicit_target_dir_not_exists() {
+    let p = project()
+        .file("Cargo.toml", &basic_bin_manifest("foo"))
+        .file("src/foo.rs", &main_file(r#""i am foo""#, &[]))
+        .build();
+
+    // should not error if target_dir does not exist
+    p.cargo("clean --target-dir bar")
+        .arg("-Zbuild-dir-new-layout")
+        .masquerade_as_nightly_cargo(&["new build-dir layout"])
+        .with_stderr_data(str![[r#"
+[REMOVED] 0 files
+
+"#]])
+        .run();
+}