diff --git a/tests/API/OVAL/unittests/test_variable_in_filter.sh b/tests/API/OVAL/unittests/test_variable_in_filter.sh
index e725b32c4c..23f8862331 100755
--- a/tests/API/OVAL/unittests/test_variable_in_filter.sh
+++ b/tests/API/OVAL/unittests/test_variable_in_filter.sh
@@ -4,14 +4,23 @@
 set -e
 set -o pipefail
 
-result=`mktemp`
-stdout=`mktemp`
-stderr=`mktemp`
-echo "secret_key" > /tmp/key_file
+oval_def=$(mktemp)
+result=$(mktemp)
+stdout=$(mktemp)
+stderr=$(mktemp)
+temp_dir=$(mktemp -d)
 
-$OSCAP oval eval --results "$result" "$srcdir/test_variable_in_filter.xml" > "$stdout" 2> "$stderr"
+cleanup() {
+	rm -f "$oval_def" "$result" "$stdout" "$stderr"
+	rm -rf "$temp_dir"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+cp "$srcdir/test_variable_in_filter.xml" "$oval_def"
+sed -i "s;TEMP_DIR_PLACEHOLDER;$temp_dir;" "$oval_def"
+echo "secret_key" > "$temp_dir/key_file"
+
+$OSCAP oval eval --results "$result" "$oval_def" > "$stdout" 2> "$stderr"
 grep "Failed to convert OVAL state to SEXP" "$stderr" && exit 1
 assert_exists 1 '//oval_results/results/system/definitions/definition[@result="true"]'
 assert_exists 0 '//oval_results/results/system/definitions/definition[@result!="true"]'
-
-rm -f "$result" "$stdout" "$stderr" /tmp/key_file
diff --git a/tests/API/OVAL/unittests/test_variable_in_filter.xml b/tests/API/OVAL/unittests/test_variable_in_filter.xml
index 18101eb5f9..d136276212 100644
--- a/tests/API/OVAL/unittests/test_variable_in_filter.xml
+++ b/tests/API/OVAL/unittests/test_variable_in_filter.xml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
   </oval:tests>
   <oval:objects>
     <ns3:file_object comment="object with a filter" id="oval:x:obj:1" version="1">
-      <ns3:path>/tmp</ns3:path>
+      <ns3:path>TEMP_DIR_PLACEHOLDER</ns3:path>
       <ns3:filename operation="pattern match">^key_file$</ns3:filename>
       <oval:filter action="exclude">oval:x:ste:1</oval:filter>
     </ns3:file_object>
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
   </oval:objects>
   <oval:states>
     <ns3:file_state comment="state used in filter, references a variable" id="oval:x:ste:1" version="1">
-      <ns3:path>/tmp</ns3:path>
+      <ns3:path>TEMP_DIR_PLACEHOLDER</ns3:path>
       <ns3:filename operation="pattern match">^key_file$</ns3:filename>
       <ns3:group_id datatype="int" var_ref="oval:x:var:1"/>
       <ns3:user_id datatype="int">0</ns3:user_id>