diff --git a/tests/compile-test.rs b/tests/compile-test.rs
index 6dcd1ff05245..66c5734cc112 100644
--- a/tests/compile-test.rs
+++ b/tests/compile-test.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 extern crate compiletest_rs as compiletest;
 
 use std::path::PathBuf;
-use std::env::var;
+use std::env::{var, temp_dir};
 
 fn run_mode(dir: &'static str, mode: &'static str) {
     let mut config = compiletest::default_config();
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ fn run_mode(dir: &'static str, mode: &'static str) {
     }
 
     config.mode = cfg_mode;
+    if cfg!(windows) {
+        // work around https://github.com/laumann/compiletest-rs/issues/35 on msvc windows
+        config.build_base = temp_dir();
+    }
     config.src_base = PathBuf::from(format!("tests/{}", dir));
 
     compiletest::run_tests(&config);
diff --git a/tests/dogfood.rs b/tests/dogfood.rs
index d050b4fc5ba1..d3021b8f2f97 100644
--- a/tests/dogfood.rs
+++ b/tests/dogfood.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 extern crate compiletest_rs as compiletest;
 extern crate test;
 
-use std::env::{var, set_var};
+use std::env::{var, set_var, temp_dir};
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use test::TestPaths;
 
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ fn dogfood() {
         config.filter = Some(name.to_owned())
     }
 
+    if cfg!(windows) {
+        // work around https://github.com/laumann/compiletest-rs/issues/35 on msvc windows
+        config.build_base = temp_dir();
+    }
+
     config.mode = cfg_mode;
 
     let paths = TestPaths {