diff --git a/common/tests/test_xattr.py b/common/tests/test_xattr.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d8f0197d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/tests/test_xattr.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import os
+import tempfile
+import shutil
+import unittest
+
+from common.xattr import getxattr, setxattr, listxattr, removexattr
+
+class TestParams(unittest.TestCase):
+  def setUp(self):
+    self.tmpdir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+    self.tmpfn = os.path.join(self.tmpdir, 'test.txt')
+    open(self.tmpfn, 'w').close()
+    #print("using", self.tmpfn)
+
+  def tearDown(self):
+    shutil.rmtree(self.tmpdir)
+
+  def test_getxattr_none(self):
+    a = getxattr(self.tmpfn, 'user.test')
+    assert a is None
+
+  def test_listxattr_none(self):
+    l = listxattr(self.tmpfn)
+    assert l == []
+
+  def test_setxattr(self):
+    setxattr(self.tmpfn, 'user.test', b'123')
+    a = getxattr(self.tmpfn, 'user.test')
+    assert a == b'123'
+
+  def test_listxattr(self):
+    setxattr(self.tmpfn, 'user.test1', b'123')
+    setxattr(self.tmpfn, 'user.test2', b'123')
+    l = listxattr(self.tmpfn)
+    assert l == ['user.test1', 'user.test2']
+
+  def test_removexattr(self):
+    setxattr(self.tmpfn, 'user.test', b'123')
+    a = getxattr(self.tmpfn, 'user.test')
+    assert a == b'123'
+    removexattr(self.tmpfn, 'user.test')
+    a = getxattr(self.tmpfn, 'user.test')
+    assert a is None
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+  unittest.main()
diff --git a/common/xattr.py b/common/xattr.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fa61b9e0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/xattr.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import os
+from cffi import FFI
+
+# Workaround for the EON/termux build of Python having os.*xattr removed.
+ffi = FFI()
+ffi.cdef("""
+int setxattr(const char *path, const char *name, const void *value, size_t size, int flags);
+ssize_t getxattr(const char *path, const char *name, void *value, size_t size);
+ssize_t listxattr(const char *path, char *list, size_t size);
+int removexattr(const char *path, const char *name);
+""")
+libc = ffi.dlopen(None)
+
+def setxattr(path, name, value, flags=0):
+  path = path.encode()
+  name = name.encode()
+  if libc.setxattr(path, name, value, len(value), flags) == -1:
+    raise OSError(ffi.errno, f"{os.strerror(ffi.errno)}: setxattr({path}, {name}, {value}, {flags})")
+
+def getxattr(path, name, size=128):
+  path = path.encode()
+  name = name.encode()
+  value = ffi.new(f"char[{size}]")
+  l = libc.getxattr(path, name, value, size)
+  if l == -1:
+    # errno 61 means attribute hasn't been set
+    if ffi.errno == 61:
+      return None
+    raise OSError(ffi.errno, f"{os.strerror(ffi.errno)}: getxattr({path}, {name}, {size})")
+  return ffi.buffer(value)[:l]
+
+def listxattr(path, size=128):
+  path = path.encode()
+  attrs = ffi.new(f"char[{size}]")
+  l = libc.listxattr(path, attrs, size)
+  if l == -1:
+    raise OSError(ffi.errno, f"{os.strerror(ffi.errno)}: listxattr({path}, {size})")
+  # attrs is b'\0' delimited values (so chop off trailing empty item)
+  return [a.decode() for a in ffi.buffer(attrs)[:l].split(b"\0")[0:-1]]
+
+def removexattr(path, name):
+  path = path.encode()
+  name = name.encode()
+  if libc.removexattr(path, name) == -1:
+    raise OSError(ffi.errno, f"{os.strerror(ffi.errno)}: removexattr({path}, {name})")
diff --git a/release/files_common b/release/files_common
index 4cda2ac6d..60923e724 100644
--- a/release/files_common
+++ b/release/files_common
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ common/file_helpers.py
 common/logging_extra.py
 common/numpy_fast.py
 common/params.py
+common/xattr.py
 common/profiler.py
 common/testing.py
 common/basedir.py
diff --git a/selfdrive/loggerd/tests/test_uploader.py b/selfdrive/loggerd/tests/test_uploader.py
index ed9a97222..c37816473 100644
--- a/selfdrive/loggerd/tests/test_uploader.py
+++ b/selfdrive/loggerd/tests/test_uploader.py
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
-import os
 import time
 import threading
+import unittest
 import logging
 import json
 
 from selfdrive.swaglog import cloudlog
 import selfdrive.loggerd.uploader as uploader
 
-from common.timeout import Timeout
+from common.xattr import getxattr
 
 from selfdrive.loggerd.tests.loggerd_tests_common import UploaderTestCase
 
@@ -69,14 +69,14 @@ class TestUploader(UploaderTestCase):
     f_paths = self.gen_files(lock=False)
 
     self.start_thread()
-
-    with Timeout(5, "Timeout waiting for file to be uploaded"):
-      while len(os.listdir(self.root)):
-        time.sleep(0.01)
+    # allow enough time that files could upload twice if there is a bug in the logic
+    time.sleep(5)
     self.join_thread()
 
+    self.assertFalse(len(log_handler.upload_order) < len(f_paths), "Some files failed to upload")
+    self.assertFalse(len(log_handler.upload_order) > len(f_paths), "Some files were uploaded twice")
     for f_path in f_paths:
-      self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(f_path), "All files not uploaded")
+      self.assertTrue(getxattr(f_path, uploader.UPLOAD_ATTR_NAME), "All files not uploaded")
     exp_order = self.gen_order([self.seg_num], [])
     self.assertTrue(log_handler.upload_order == exp_order, "Files uploaded in wrong order")
 
@@ -92,15 +92,14 @@ class TestUploader(UploaderTestCase):
       f_paths += self.gen_files()
 
     self.start_thread()
-
-    with Timeout(5, "Timeout waiting for file to be upload"):
-      while len(os.listdir(self.root)):
-        time.sleep(0.01)
-
+    # allow enough time that files could upload twice if there is a bug in the logic
+    time.sleep(5)
     self.join_thread()
 
+    self.assertFalse(len(log_handler.upload_order) < len(f_paths), "Some files failed to upload")
+    self.assertFalse(len(log_handler.upload_order) > len(f_paths), "Some files were uploaded twice")
     for f_path in f_paths:
-      self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(f_path), "All files not uploaded")
+      self.assertTrue(getxattr(f_path, uploader.UPLOAD_ATTR_NAME), "All files not uploaded")
     exp_order = self.gen_order(seg1_nums, seg2_nums)
     self.assertTrue(log_handler.upload_order == exp_order, "Files uploaded in wrong order")
 
@@ -113,4 +112,8 @@ class TestUploader(UploaderTestCase):
     self.join_thread()
 
     for f_path in f_paths:
-      self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(f_path), "File upload when locked")
+      self.assertFalse(getxattr(f_path, uploader.UPLOAD_ATTR_NAME), "File upload when locked")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+  unittest.main()
diff --git a/selfdrive/loggerd/uploader.py b/selfdrive/loggerd/uploader.py
index dba2287b8..db1003a33 100644
--- a/selfdrive/loggerd/uploader.py
+++ b/selfdrive/loggerd/uploader.py
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ from selfdrive.loggerd.config import ROOT
 from common import android
 from common.params import Params
 from common.api import Api
+from common.xattr import getxattr, setxattr
+
+UPLOAD_ATTR_NAME = 'user.upload'
+UPLOAD_ATTR_VALUE = b'1'
 
 fake_upload = os.getenv("FAKEUPLOAD") is not None
 
@@ -72,7 +76,7 @@ def is_on_wifi():
     if result is None:
       return True
     return 'WIFI' in result
-  except Exception:
+  except BaseException:
     cloudlog.exception("is_on_wifi failed")
     return False
 
@@ -86,7 +90,7 @@ def is_on_hotspot():
     is_entune = result.startswith('10.0.2.')
 
     return (is_android or is_ios or is_entune)
-  except:
+  except BaseException:
     return False
 
 class Uploader():
@@ -103,16 +107,6 @@ class Uploader():
     self.immediate_priority = {"qlog.bz2": 0, "qcamera.ts": 1}
     self.high_priority = {"rlog.bz2": 0, "fcamera.hevc": 1, "dcamera.hevc": 2}
 
-  def clean_dirs(self):
-    try:
-      for logname in os.listdir(self.root):
-        path = os.path.join(self.root, logname)
-        # remove empty directories
-        if not os.listdir(path):
-          os.rmdir(path)
-    except OSError:
-      cloudlog.exception("clean_dirs failed")
-
   def get_upload_sort(self, name):
     if name in self.immediate_priority:
       return self.immediate_priority[name]
@@ -135,6 +129,14 @@ class Uploader():
       for name in sorted(names, key=self.get_upload_sort):
         key = os.path.join(logname, name)
         fn = os.path.join(path, name)
+        # skip files already uploaded
+        try:
+          is_uploaded = getxattr(fn, UPLOAD_ATTR_NAME)
+        except OSError:
+          cloudlog.event("uploader_getxattr_failed", exc=self.last_exc, key=key, fn=fn)
+          is_uploaded = True # deleter could have deleted
+        if is_uploaded:
+          continue
 
         yield (name, key, fn)
 
@@ -175,7 +177,7 @@ class Uploader():
       else:
         with open(fn, "rb") as f:
           self.last_resp = requests.put(url, data=f, headers=headers, timeout=10)
-    except Exception as e:
+    except BaseException as e:
       self.last_exc = (e, traceback.format_exc())
       raise
 
@@ -185,7 +187,7 @@ class Uploader():
 
     try:
       self.do_upload(key, fn)
-    except Exception:
+    except BaseException:
       pass
 
     return self.last_resp
@@ -202,28 +204,27 @@ class Uploader():
     cloudlog.info("checking %r with size %r", key, sz)
 
     if sz == 0:
-      # can't upload files of 0 size
-      os.unlink(fn) # delete the file
+      try:
+        # tag files of 0 size as uploaded
+        setxattr(fn, UPLOAD_ATTR_NAME, UPLOAD_ATTR_VALUE)
+      except OSError:
+        cloudlog.event("uploader_setxattr_failed", exc=self.last_exc, key=key, fn=fn, sz=sz)
       success = True
     else:
       cloudlog.info("uploading %r", fn)
       stat = self.normal_upload(key, fn)
       if stat is not None and stat.status_code in (200, 201):
         cloudlog.event("upload_success", key=key, fn=fn, sz=sz)
-
-        # delete the file
         try:
-          os.unlink(fn)
+          # tag file as uploaded
+          setxattr(fn, UPLOAD_ATTR_NAME, UPLOAD_ATTR_VALUE)
         except OSError:
-          cloudlog.event("delete_failed", stat=stat, exc=self.last_exc, key=key, fn=fn, sz=sz)
-
+          cloudlog.event("uploader_setxattr_failed", exc=self.last_exc, key=key, fn=fn, sz=sz)
         success = True
       else:
         cloudlog.event("upload_failed", stat=stat, exc=self.last_exc, key=key, fn=fn, sz=sz)
         success = False
 
-    self.clean_dirs()
-
     return success
 
 def uploader_fn(exit_event):