diff --git a/keystone/tests/backend_sql_disk.conf b/keystone/tests/backend_sql_disk.conf
deleted file mode 100644
index 31ce195f51..0000000000
--- a/keystone/tests/backend_sql_disk.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-[database]
-connection = sqlite:///keystone/tests/tmp/test.db
diff --git a/keystone/tests/core.py b/keystone/tests/core.py
index 56a8ddcd95..5a6472cedb 100644
--- a/keystone/tests/core.py
+++ b/keystone/tests/core.py
@@ -81,7 +81,16 @@ TESTSDIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 ROOTDIR = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(TESTSDIR, '..', '..'))
 VENDOR = os.path.join(ROOTDIR, 'vendor')
 ETCDIR = os.path.join(ROOTDIR, 'etc')
-TMPDIR = os.path.join(TESTSDIR, 'tmp')
+
+
+def _calc_tmpdir():
+    env_val = os.environ.get('KEYSTONE_TEST_TEMP_DIR')
+    if env_val:
+        return env_val
+    return os.path.join(TESTSDIR, 'tmp')
+
+
+TMPDIR = _calc_tmpdir()
 
 CONF = config.CONF
 
diff --git a/keystone/tests/test_auth_plugin.py b/keystone/tests/test_auth_plugin.py
index 222f09897b..4f7a2a37a6 100644
--- a/keystone/tests/test_auth_plugin.py
+++ b/keystone/tests/test_auth_plugin.py
@@ -69,9 +69,13 @@ class TestAuthPlugin(tests.TestCase):
         return [tests.dirs.etc('keystone.conf.sample'),
                 tests.dirs.tests('test_overrides.conf'),
                 tests.dirs.tests('backend_sql.conf'),
-                tests.dirs.tests('backend_sql_disk.conf'),
                 tests.dirs.tests('test_auth_plugin.conf')]
 
+    def config(self, config_files):
+        super(TestAuthPlugin, self).config(config_files)
+        db_conn = 'sqlite:///%s' % tests.dirs.tmp('test.db')
+        self.config_fixture.config(group='database', connection=db_conn)
+
     def test_unsupported_auth_method(self):
         method_name = uuid.uuid4().hex
         auth_data = {'methods': [method_name]}
@@ -126,7 +130,6 @@ class TestByClassNameAuthMethodRegistration(TestAuthPlugin):
         return [tests.dirs.etc('keystone.conf.sample'),
                 tests.dirs.tests('test_overrides.conf'),
                 tests.dirs.tests('backend_sql.conf'),
-                tests.dirs.tests('backend_sql_disk.conf'),
                 tests.dirs.tests('test_auth_plugin_by_class_name.conf')]
 
 
diff --git a/keystone/tests/test_v3.py b/keystone/tests/test_v3.py
index d810f20ea7..19fa31b627 100644
--- a/keystone/tests/test_v3.py
+++ b/keystone/tests/test_v3.py
@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@ TIME_FORMAT = '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%fZ'
 class RestfulTestCase(rest.RestfulTestCase):
     _config_file_list = [tests.dirs.etc('keystone.conf.sample'),
                          tests.dirs.tests('test_overrides.conf'),
-                         tests.dirs.tests('backend_sql.conf'),
-                         tests.dirs.tests('backend_sql_disk.conf')]
+                         tests.dirs.tests('backend_sql.conf')]
 
     #Subclasses can override this to specify the complete list of configuration
     #files.  The base version makes a copy of the original values, otherwise
@@ -90,6 +89,11 @@ class RestfulTestCase(rest.RestfulTestCase):
 
         self.addCleanup(self.teardown_database)
 
+    def config(self, config_files):
+        super(RestfulTestCase, self).config(config_files)
+        db_conn = 'sqlite:///%s' % tests.dirs.tmp('test.db')
+        self.config_fixture.config(group='database', connection=db_conn)
+
     def load_backends(self):
         self.setup_database()