diff --git a/core/src/main/java/jenkins/model/RunIdMigrator.java b/core/src/main/java/jenkins/model/RunIdMigrator.java
index 7d375c79a5..a8b97f16e5 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/jenkins/model/RunIdMigrator.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/jenkins/model/RunIdMigrator.java
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ import hudson.util.StreamTaskListener;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.lang.reflect.Array;
+import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.net.URISyntaxException;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.text.DateFormat;
@@ -206,11 +209,8 @@ public final class RunIdMigrator {
                 }
                 try {
                     Integer.parseInt(name);
-                    if (kid.delete()) {
-                        LOGGER.log(FINE, "deleted build number symlink {0} → {1}", new Object[] {name, link});
-                    } else {
-                        LOGGER.log(WARNING, "could not delete build number symlink {0} → {1}", new Object[] {name, link});
-                    }
+                    LOGGER.log(FINE, "deleting build number symlink {0} → {1}", new Object[] {name, link});
+                    Util.deleteFile(kid);
                 } catch (NumberFormatException x) {
                     LOGGER.log(FINE, "skipping other symlink {0} → {1}", new Object[] {name, link});
                 }
@@ -259,10 +259,7 @@ public final class RunIdMigrator {
                 String nl = m.group(2);
                 xml = m.replaceFirst("  <id>" + name + "</id>" + nl + "  <timestamp>" + timestamp + "</timestamp>" + nl);
                 File newKid = new File(dir, Integer.toString(number));
-                if (!kid.renameTo(newKid)) {
-                    LOGGER.log(WARNING, "failed to rename {0} to {1}", new Object[] {name, number});
-                    continue;
-                }
+                move(kid, newKid);
                 FileUtils.writeStringToFile(new File(newKid, "build.xml"), xml, Charsets.UTF_8);
                 LOGGER.log(FINE, "fully processed {0} → {1}", new Object[] {name, number});
                 idToNumber.put(name, number);
@@ -272,6 +269,42 @@ public final class RunIdMigrator {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Tries to move/rename a file from one path to another.
+     * Uses {@link java.nio.file.Files#move} when available.
+     * Does not use {@link java.nio.file.StandardCopyOption#REPLACE_EXISTING} or any other options.
+     * TODO candidate for moving to {@link Util}
+     */
+    static void move(File src, File dest) throws IOException {
+        Class<?> pathC;
+        try {
+            pathC = Class.forName("java.nio.file.Path");
+        } catch (ClassNotFoundException x) {
+            // Java 6, do our best
+            if (dest.exists()) {
+                throw new IOException(dest + " already exists");
+            }
+            if (src.renameTo(dest)) {
+                return;
+            }
+            throw new IOException("could not move " + src + " to " + dest);
+        }
+        try {
+            Method toPath = File.class.getMethod("toPath");
+            Class<?> copyOptionAC = Class.forName("[Ljava.nio.file.CopyOption;");
+            Class.forName("java.nio.file.Files").getMethod("move", pathC, pathC, copyOptionAC).invoke(null, toPath.invoke(src), toPath.invoke(dest), Array.newInstance(copyOptionAC.getComponentType(), 0));
+        } catch (InvocationTargetException x) {
+            Throwable cause = x.getCause();
+            if (cause instanceof IOException) {
+                throw (IOException) cause;
+            } else {
+                throw new IOException(cause);
+            }
+        } catch (Exception x) {
+            throw new IOException(x);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Look up a historical run by ID.
      * @param id a nonnumeric ID which may be a valid {@link Run#getId}
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/jenkins/model/RunIdMigratorTest.java b/core/src/test/java/jenkins/model/RunIdMigratorTest.java
index 2d4d784968..ce5c6d89e6 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/jenkins/model/RunIdMigratorTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/jenkins/model/RunIdMigratorTest.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ package jenkins.model;
 import hudson.Util;
 import hudson.util.StreamTaskListener;
 import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.TimeZone;
@@ -173,4 +174,17 @@ public class RunIdMigratorTest {
         return m.toString();
     }
 
+    @Test public void move() throws Exception {
+        File src = tmp.newFile();
+        File dest = new File(tmp.getRoot(), "dest");
+        RunIdMigrator.move(src, dest);
+        File dest2 = tmp.newFile();
+        try {
+            RunIdMigrator.move(dest, dest2);
+            fail();
+        } catch (IOException x) {
+            System.err.println("Got expected move exception: " + x);
+        }
+    }
+
 }