diff --git a/tests/qtest/libqos/virtio-9p.c b/tests/qtest/libqos/virtio-9p.c
index 2736e9ae2a..586e700b24 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/libqos/virtio-9p.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/libqos/virtio-9p.c
@@ -35,7 +35,12 @@ static char *concat_path(const char* a, const char* b)
 static void init_local_test_path(void)
 {
     char *pwd = g_get_current_dir();
-    local_test_path = concat_path(pwd, "qtest-9p-local");
+    char *template = concat_path(pwd, "qtest-9p-local-XXXXXX");
+    local_test_path = mkdtemp(template);
+    if (!local_test_path) {
+        g_test_message("mkdtemp('%s') failed: %s", template, strerror(errno));
+    }
+    g_assert(local_test_path);
     g_free(pwd);
 }
 
@@ -43,6 +48,8 @@ void virtio_9p_create_local_test_dir(void)
 {
     struct stat st;
 
+    init_local_test_path();
+
     g_assert(local_test_path != NULL);
     mkdir(local_test_path, 0777);
 
@@ -244,11 +251,6 @@ static void virtio_9p_register_nodes(void)
     const char *str_simple = "fsdev=fsdev0,mount_tag=" MOUNT_TAG;
     const char *str_addr = "fsdev=fsdev0,addr=04.0,mount_tag=" MOUNT_TAG;
 
-    /* make sure test dir for the 'local' tests exists and is clean */
-    init_local_test_path();
-    virtio_9p_remove_local_test_dir();
-    virtio_9p_create_local_test_dir();
-
     QPCIAddress addr = {
         .devfn = QPCI_DEVFN(4, 0),
     };
diff --git a/tests/qtest/virtio-9p-test.c b/tests/qtest/virtio-9p-test.c
index c15908f27b..6401d4f564 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/virtio-9p-test.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/virtio-9p-test.c
@@ -1076,3 +1076,15 @@ static void register_virtio_9p_test(void)
 }
 
 libqos_init(register_virtio_9p_test);
+
+static void __attribute__((constructor)) construct_9p_test(void)
+{
+    /* make sure test dir for the 'local' tests exists */
+    virtio_9p_create_local_test_dir();
+}
+
+static void __attribute__((destructor)) destruct_9p_test(void)
+{
+    /* remove previously created test dir when test suite completed */
+    virtio_9p_remove_local_test_dir();
+}