diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
index a303a39187319..46671b4dd7d05 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
@@ -686,16 +686,13 @@ class BuildPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
                     test.jvmArgs '-ea', '-esa'
                 }
 
-                // we use './temp' since this is per JVM and tests are forbidden from writing to CWD
-                test.systemProperties 'java.io.tmpdir': './temp',
-                        'java.awt.headless': 'true',
+                test.systemProperties 'java.awt.headless': 'true',
                         'tests.gradle': 'true',
                         'tests.artifact': project.name,
                         'tests.task': test.path,
                         'tests.security.manager': 'true',
                         'jna.nosys': 'true'
 
-
                 // ignore changing test seed when build is passed -Dignore.tests.seed for cacheability experimentation
                 if (System.getProperty('ignore.tests.seed') != null) {
                     nonInputProperties.systemProperty('tests.seed', BuildParams.testSeed)
@@ -707,6 +704,8 @@ class BuildPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
                 nonInputProperties.systemProperty('gradle.dist.lib', new File(project.class.location.toURI()).parent)
                 nonInputProperties.systemProperty('gradle.worker.jar', "${project.gradle.getGradleUserHomeDir()}/caches/${project.gradle.gradleVersion}/workerMain/gradle-worker.jar")
                 nonInputProperties.systemProperty('gradle.user.home', project.gradle.getGradleUserHomeDir())
+                // we use 'temp' relative to CWD since this is per JVM and tests are forbidden from writing to CWD
+                nonInputProperties.systemProperty('java.io.tmpdir', test.workingDir.toPath().resolve('temp'))
 
                 nonInputProperties.systemProperty('compiler.java', "${-> BuildParams.compilerJavaVersion.majorVersion}")