diff --git a/R/boxr__internal_misc.R b/R/boxr__internal_misc.R
index c06e1e6..3f81e37 100644
--- a/R/boxr__internal_misc.R
+++ b/R/boxr__internal_misc.R
@@ -294,7 +294,6 @@ create_test_dir <- function() {
   return()  
 }
 
-
 # A function to modify that directory structure
 modify_test_dir <- function() {
   # Delete a directory
@@ -314,9 +313,8 @@ modify_test_dir <- function() {
 
 # A function to clear out a box.com directory
 clear_box_dir <- function(dir_id) {
-  dir.create("delete_me", showWarnings = FALSE)
-  box_push(dir_id, "delete_me", delete = TRUE)
-  unlink("delete_me", recursive = TRUE, force = TRUE)
+  tmp_dir <- withr::local_tempdir()
+  box_push(dir_id, tmp_dir, delete = TRUE)
 }
 
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test_02_clear_out.R b/tests/testthat/test_02_clear_out.R
index 7b389ff..42e7c0a 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test_02_clear_out.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test_02_clear_out.R
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ test_that("Clear out the remote directory", {
   options(boxr.verbose = FALSE)
   # Tell boxr to sync the remote home directory with an empty local one
   # (i.e. delete everything)
-  b <- box_push(0, fs::path_temp("test_dir/dir_12/dir_121/dir_1211"), delete = TRUE)
+  boxr:::clear_box_dir(0)
   
   expect_length(box_ls(0), 0)
   
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test_99_tidy_up.R b/tests/testthat/test_99_tidy_up.R
index 620ebdb..7b0d6d7 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test_99_tidy_up.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test_99_tidy_up.R
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@ test_that("Box directory is emptied", {
   boxr:::skip_on_travis()
   skip_if_no_token()
   
-  # push empty local dir to top level on Box
-  b <- box_push(0, fs::path_temp("test_dir/dir_12/dir_121/dir_1211"), delete = TRUE)
+  boxr:::clear_box_dir(0)
   
   expect_equal(nrow(as.data.frame(box_ls(0))), 0)
 })