diff --git a/native/native_rust_library/Cargo.lock b/native/native_rust_library/Cargo.lock
--- a/native/native_rust_library/Cargo.lock
+++ b/native/native_rust_library/Cargo.lock
@@ -1248,6 +1248,7 @@
  "argon2",
  "backup_client",
  "base64",
+ "comm-lib",
  "comm-opaque2",
  "cxx",
  "cxx-build",
diff --git a/native/native_rust_library/Cargo.toml b/native/native_rust_library/Cargo.toml
--- a/native/native_rust_library/Cargo.toml
+++ b/native/native_rust_library/Cargo.toml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 license = "BSD-3-Clause"
 
 [dependencies]
+comm-lib = { path = "../../shared/comm-lib" }
 cxx = "1.0"
 tokio = { version = "1.24", features = ["macros", "rt-multi-thread"] }
 tokio-util = "0.7.15"
diff --git a/native/native_rust_library/src/backup.rs b/native/native_rust_library/src/backup.rs
--- a/native/native_rust_library/src/backup.rs
+++ b/native/native_rust_library/src/backup.rs
@@ -198,39 +198,19 @@
     promise_id: u32,
   ) {
     RUNTIME.spawn(async move {
-      let result = download_backup_data(backup_id.clone())
-        .await
-        .map_err(|err| err.to_string());
-
-      let result = match result {
-        Ok(result) => result,
-        Err(error) => {
-          void_callback(error, promise_id);
-          return;
-        }
-      };
-
-      let (future_id, future) = future_manager::new_future::<()>().await;
-      restore_from_main_compaction(
-        &result.backup_restoration_path.to_string_lossy(),
-        &backup_data_key,
-        &max_version,
-        future_id,
-      );
-
-      if let Err(error) = future.await {
-        void_callback(error, promise_id);
-        return;
-      }
-
-      if let Err(error) =
-        download_and_apply_logs(&backup_id, backup_log_data_key).await
+      let err_string = match restore_backup_data_helper(
+        backup_id,
+        backup_data_key,
+        backup_log_data_key,
+        max_version,
+      )
+      .await
       {
-        void_callback(error.to_string(), promise_id);
-        return;
-      }
+        Ok(()) => "".to_string(),
+        Err(error) => error.to_string(),
+      };
 
-      void_callback(String::new(), promise_id);
+      void_callback(err_string, promise_id);
     });
   }
 
@@ -448,7 +428,8 @@
 
 async fn download_backup_data(
   backup_id: String,
-) -> Result<CompactionDownloadResult, Box<dyn Error>> {
+  backup_restoration_path: &PathBuf,
+) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
   let backup_client = BackupClient::new(BACKUP_SOCKET_ADDR)?;
   let user_identity = get_user_identity_from_secure_store()?;
 
@@ -461,14 +442,9 @@
     .download_backup_data(&backup_data_descriptor, RequestedData::UserData)
     .await?;
 
-  let backup_restoration_path =
-    PathBuf::from(get_backup_directory_path()?).join("restore_compaction");
-
-  tokio::fs::write(&backup_restoration_path, encrypted_user_data).await?;
+  tokio::fs::write(backup_restoration_path, encrypted_user_data).await?;
 
-  Ok(CompactionDownloadResult {
-    backup_restoration_path,
-  })
+  Ok(())
 }
 
 async fn download_and_apply_logs(
@@ -495,6 +471,34 @@
   Ok(())
 }
 
+async fn restore_backup_data_helper(
+  backup_id: String,
+  backup_data_key: String,
+  backup_log_data_key: String,
+  max_version: String,
+) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+  let backup_restoration_path =
+    PathBuf::from(get_backup_directory_path()?).join("restore_compaction");
+
+  download_backup_data(backup_id.clone(), &backup_restoration_path).await?;
+
+  // downloaded compaction will be removed when this gets out of scope
+  let _cleanup = comm_lib::tools::Defer::new(|| {
+    crate::utils::schedule_remove_file(&backup_restoration_path)
+  });
+
+  async_cpp_call!(restore_from_main_compaction(
+    &backup_restoration_path.to_string_lossy(),
+    &backup_data_key,
+    &max_version
+  ))
+  .await?;
+
+  download_and_apply_logs(&backup_id, backup_log_data_key).await?;
+
+  Ok(())
+}
+
 fn get_user_identity_from_secure_store() -> Result<UserIdentity, cxx::Exception>
 {
   Ok(UserIdentity {
@@ -535,10 +539,6 @@
   pub version_info: BackupVersionInfo,
 }
 
-struct CompactionDownloadResult {
-  backup_restoration_path: PathBuf,
-}
-
 /// Stores the Olm account in `pickled_account`. However, Olm account
 /// information might be out of date. We have decided we don't need
 /// to update this when one-time keys (OTKs) or prekeys change.
diff --git a/native/native_rust_library/src/utils.rs b/native/native_rust_library/src/utils.rs
--- a/native/native_rust_library/src/utils.rs
+++ b/native/native_rust_library/src/utils.rs
@@ -1,2 +1,13 @@
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+
 pub mod future_manager;
 pub mod jsi_callbacks;
+
+pub fn schedule_remove_file(path: &Path) {
+  let path = PathBuf::from(path);
+  tokio::spawn(async move {
+    if let Err(err) = tokio::fs::remove_file(&path).await {
+      println!("Failed to remove file {0}: {err:?}", path.to_string_lossy());
+    }
+  });
+}