diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/test.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/test.py
index ddc6cb4fce..9a85c7d270 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/test.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/test.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 # Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
 ##############################################################################
 import os
+import shutil
 from pprint import pprint
 
 from llnl.util.filesystem import join_path, mkdirp
@@ -66,4 +67,7 @@ def test(parser, args):
             
             if not os.path.exists(outputDir):
                 mkdirp(outputDir)
+        spack.cache_path = join_path(spack.var_path, "test-cache")
+        mkdirp(spack.cache_path)
         spack.test.run(args.names, outputDir, args.verbose)
+        shutil.rmtree(spack.cache_path)
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/git_fetch.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/git_fetch.py
index 3578044116..76814f089a 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/git_fetch.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/git_fetch.py
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 from spack.test.mock_repo import MockGitRepo
 from spack.version import ver
 
+import shutil
+import os
 
 class GitFetchTest(MockPackagesTest):
     """Tests fetching from a dummy git repository."""
@@ -49,6 +51,8 @@ def tearDown(self):
         """Destroy the stage space used by this test."""
         super(GitFetchTest, self).tearDown()
         self.repo.destroy()
+        for d in os.listdir(spack.cache_path):
+            shutil.rmtree(os.path.join(spack.cache_path, d))
 
     def assert_rev(self, rev):
         """Check that the current git revision is equal to the supplied rev."""