diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/programFpgaBlackfin.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/programFpgaBlackfin.c
index 9e3ebeb54..1332effbc 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/programFpgaBlackfin.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/programFpgaBlackfin.c
@@ -187,7 +187,18 @@ int getDrive(char *mess) {
 
 int openFileForFlash(FILE **flashfd, FILE **srcfd, char *mess) {
     FPGAdontTouchFlash();
-
+    {
+        char cmd[MAX_STR_LENGTH] = {0};
+        char retvals[MAX_STR_LENGTH] = {0};
+        strcpy(cmd, "ls -lrt /var/tmp/");
+        if (FAIL == executeCommand(cmd, retvals, logDEBUG1)) {
+            strcpy(mess, "Could not program fpga. Could not delete old file: ");
+            strncat(mess, retvals, sizeof(mess) - strlen(mess) - 1);
+            strcat(mess, "\n");
+            LOG(logERROR, (mess));
+            return FAIL;
+        }
+    }
     // open src file
     *srcfd = fopen(TEMP_PROG_FILE_NAME, "r");
     if (*srcfd == NULL) {