--- a/mercurial/sshrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/sshrepo.py
@@ -32,12 +32,6 @@ class sshrepository(remoterepository):
         remotecmd = self.ui.config("ui", "remotecmd", "hg")
 
         if create:
-            try:
-                self.validate_repo(ui, sshcmd, args, remotecmd)
-                return # the repo is good, nothing more to do
-            except hg.RepoError:
-                pass
-
             cmd = '%s %s "%s init %s"'
             cmd = cmd % (sshcmd, args, remotecmd, self.path)
 
@@ -52,6 +46,9 @@ class sshrepository(remoterepository):
         return self._url
 
     def validate_repo(self, ui, sshcmd, args, remotecmd):
+        # cleanup up previous run
+        self.cleanup()
+
         cmd = '%s %s "%s -R %s serve --stdio"'
         cmd = cmd % (sshcmd, args, remotecmd, self.path)
 
@@ -90,7 +87,7 @@ class sshrepository(remoterepository):
             if not l: break
             self.ui.status(_("remote: "), l)
 
-    def __del__(self):
+    def cleanup(self):
         try:
             self.pipeo.close()
             self.pipei.close()
@@ -101,6 +98,8 @@ class sshrepository(remoterepository):
         except:
             pass
 
+    __del__ = cleanup
+
     def do_cmd(self, cmd, **args):
         self.ui.debug(_("sending %s command\n") % cmd)
         self.pipeo.write("%s\n" % cmd)