Surefire plugin aborts if target directory contains files/dirs

If there are files in the target directory when the plugin is run, specifically when tests are run inconjunction with the release:perform plugin goal, the plugin seems to simply terminate. The overall build is failed due to there being test failures, but the build shows no test failures (i.e. <<< FAILURE!) and none of the surefire reports list any test failures. It's important to note that there will be only part of your test reports you expect (say 50%) as the plugin appears to stop before it has executed all tests. I believe what occurs is the plugin tries to create a report, say for test G, and finds in the target directory that the reports files for test G already exist that's where it pukes. As a result, you will have reports for tests A-F and nothing more; all of these reports will NOT list any error/failure. Also important to note is that there is no summary you usually see, i.e. Tests: 100 Failures: 0 Errors: 0, after the surefire plugin runs - you only see the stats for the last test and then information from the "main" maven thread saying the build failed due to test failures.

It would be ideal if:

a) the surefire plugin could remove any surefire reports prior to execution

or

b) fail the build but provide a reason why, e.g. "could not write the test report for test G"