diff --git a/bld/unit_testers/build-namelist_test.pl b/bld/unit_testers/build-namelist_test.pl
index bab664666c..973ea669ec 100755
--- a/bld/unit_testers/build-namelist_test.pl
+++ b/bld/unit_testers/build-namelist_test.pl
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ sub cat_and_create_namelistinfile {
          }
       }
    }
-   system( "/bin/rm $namelistfile" );
+   system( "/bin/rm -f $namelistfile" );
    &cleanup();
 }
 print "\n===============================================================================\n";
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ sub cat_and_create_namelistinfile {
    if ( defined($opts{'generate'}) ) {
       $cfiles->copyfiles( "$options", $mode );
    }
-   system( "/bin/rm $namelistfile" );
+   system( "/bin/rm -f $namelistfile" );
    &cleanup();
 }
 
@@ -1971,7 +1971,7 @@ sub cat_and_create_namelistinfile {
 }
 &cleanup();
 
-system( "/bin/rm $finidat" );
+system( "/bin/rm -f $finidat" );
 
 print "\n==================================================\n";
 print " Dumping output  \n";
@@ -1982,7 +1982,7 @@ sub cat_and_create_namelistinfile {
 print "Successfully ran all testing for build-namelist\n\n";
 
 &cleanup( "config" );
-system( "/bin/rm $tempfile" );
+system( "/bin/rm -f $tempfile" );
 
 sub cleanup {
 #
@@ -1993,10 +1993,10 @@ sub cleanup {
   print "Cleanup files created\n";
   if ( defined($type) ) {
      if ( $type eq "config" ) {
-        system( "/bin/rm config_cache.xml" );
+        system( "/bin/rm -f config_cache.xml" );
      }
   } else {
-     system( "/bin/rm $tempfile *_in" );
+     system( "/bin/rm -f $tempfile *_in" );
   }
 }