diff --git a/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/maven/ban/PurgeRepoMojo.java b/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/maven/ban/PurgeRepoMojo.java
index 9ec8f55..5595a91 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/maven/ban/PurgeRepoMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/maven/ban/PurgeRepoMojo.java
@@ -158,14 +158,14 @@ public class PurgeRepoMojo extends AbstractMojo {
             this.getLog().info("DRYRUN: Would have deleted certain paths from local Maven cache: " + repoPath);
             this.getLog().info("DRYRUN: Would have deleted these paths: " + includePaths);
         } else {
-            for (Path path : includePaths) {
-                Path fullpath = repoPath.resolve(path);
-                if (Files.exists(fullpath)) {
-                    this.getLog().info("Deleting version from Maven cache: " + path);
-                    Files.walkFileTree(fullpath, new DeleteDirectoryVisitor());
+            for (Path versionPath : includePaths) {
+                Path fullVersionPath = repoPath.resolve(versionPath);
+                if (Files.exists(fullVersionPath)) {
+                    this.getLog().info("Deleting version from Maven cache: " + versionPath);
+                    Files.walkFileTree(fullVersionPath, new DeleteNonMetadataVisitor());
                 } else {
                     // this will probably never happen
-                    this.getLog().debug("Maven cache does not exist: " + path);
+                    this.getLog().debug("Maven cache does not exist: " + versionPath);
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -279,7 +279,9 @@ public class PurgeRepoMojo extends AbstractMojo {
     
     
     
-    private class DeleteDirectoryVisitor implements FileVisitor<Path> {
+    private class DeleteNonMetadataVisitor implements FileVisitor<Path> {
+        
+        private final Pattern versionPathPattern = Pattern.compile("/([^/]+)/([^/]+)$");
         
         @Override
         public FileVisitResult preVisitDirectory(Path dir, BasicFileAttributes attrs) throws IOException {
@@ -288,12 +290,30 @@ public class PurgeRepoMojo extends AbstractMojo {
         
         @Override
         public FileVisitResult visitFile(Path file, BasicFileAttributes attrs) throws IOException {
-            try {
-                if (!attrs.isDirectory())
+            if (attrs.isDirectory()) {
+                getLog().warn("An unexpected directory was found: " + file);
+                return FileVisitResult.SKIP_SUBTREE;
+            }
+
+            Matcher matcher = this.versionPathPattern.matcher(file.toString());
+            if (!matcher.find()) {
+                getLog().debug("Ignoring file from purge: " + file);
+                return FileVisitResult.CONTINUE;
+            }
+            
+            String artifactId = matcher.group(1);
+            String version = matcher.group(2);
+            String includeName = artifactId + "-" + version;
+            String excludeName = artifactId + "-" + version + ".pom";
+            if (file.getFileName().toString().startsWith(includeName) &&
+                    !file.getFileName().toString().startsWith(excludeName)) {
+                try {
                     Files.delete(file);
-            } catch (IOException ie) {
-                getLog().debug(ie);
-                getLog().warn("The file failed to delete: " + file);
+                } catch (IOException ie) {
+                    getLog().debug(ie);
+                    getLog().warn("The file failed to delete: " + file);
+                    return FileVisitResult.SKIP_SIBLINGS;
+                }
             }
             
             return FileVisitResult.CONTINUE;