diff --git a/src/test/test-cgroup-mask.c b/src/test/test-cgroup-mask.c
index 630587aaf1..adcff56bff 100644
--- a/src/test/test-cgroup-mask.c
+++ b/src/test/test-cgroup-mask.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "unit.h"
 
 static int test_cgroup_mask(void) {
+        _cleanup_(rm_rf_physical_and_freep) char *runtime_dir = NULL;
         Manager *m = NULL;
         Unit *son, *daughter, *parent, *root, *grandchild, *parent_deep;
         FILE *serial = NULL;
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ static int test_cgroup_mask(void) {
 
         /* Prepare the manager. */
         assert_se(set_unit_path(TEST_DATA_DIR("")) >= 0);
+        assert_se(runtime_dir = setup_fake_runtime_dir());
         r = manager_new(UNIT_FILE_USER, true, &m);
         if (r == -EPERM || r == -EACCES) {
                 puts("manager_new: Permission denied. Skipping test.");
@@ -110,10 +112,8 @@ static int test_cgroup_mask(void) {
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
-        _cleanup_(rm_rf_physical_and_freep) char *runtime_dir = NULL;
         int rc = 0;
 
-        assert_se(runtime_dir = setup_fake_runtime_dir());
         TEST_REQ_RUNNING_SYSTEMD(rc = test_cgroup_mask());
 
         return rc;
diff --git a/src/test/test-engine.c b/src/test/test-engine.c
index 3ec2dfe10e..3c0c18b188 100644
--- a/src/test/test-engine.c
+++ b/src/test/test-engine.c
@@ -37,10 +37,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         Job *j;
         int r;
 
-        assert_se(runtime_dir = setup_fake_runtime_dir());
-
         /* prepare the test */
         assert_se(set_unit_path(TEST_DATA_DIR("")) >= 0);
+        assert_se(runtime_dir = setup_fake_runtime_dir());
         r = manager_new(UNIT_FILE_USER, true, &m);
         if (MANAGER_SKIP_TEST(r)) {
                 log_notice_errno(r, "Skipping test: manager_new: %m");
diff --git a/src/test/test-path.c b/src/test/test-path.c
index d09df3e8a5..7f108440b1 100644
--- a/src/test/test-path.c
+++ b/src/test/test-path.c
@@ -262,8 +262,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         log_parse_environment();
         log_open();
 
-        assert_se(runtime_dir = setup_fake_runtime_dir());
         assert_se(set_unit_path(TEST_DATA_DIR("/test-path/")) >= 0);
+        assert_se(runtime_dir = setup_fake_runtime_dir());
 
         for (test = tests; test && *test; test++) {
                 int r;
diff --git a/src/test/test-sched-prio.c b/src/test/test-sched-prio.c
index dab64fea57..9a918cde20 100644
--- a/src/test/test-sched-prio.c
+++ b/src/test/test-sched-prio.c
@@ -34,10 +34,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         FDSet *fdset = NULL;
         int r;
 
-        assert_se(runtime_dir = setup_fake_runtime_dir());
-
         /* prepare the test */
         assert_se(set_unit_path(TEST_DATA_DIR("")) >= 0);
+        assert_se(runtime_dir = setup_fake_runtime_dir());
         r = manager_new(UNIT_FILE_USER, true, &m);
         if (MANAGER_SKIP_TEST(r)) {
                 log_notice_errno(r, "Skipping test: manager_new: %m");