diff --git a/test/main.cpp b/test/main.cpp
index 4d3b9382e..7d1b24f18 100644
--- a/test/main.cpp
+++ b/test/main.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 #include "libtorrent/assert.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/file.hpp"
+#include "libtorrent/aux_/escape_string.hpp"
 #include <signal.h>
 
 #ifdef WIN32
@@ -222,6 +223,53 @@ void print_usage(char const* executable)
 		"by -l. If no test is specified, all tests are run\n", executable);
 }
 
+void change_directory(std::string const& f, error_code& ec)
+{
+	ec.clear();
+
+#ifdef TORRENT_WINDOWS
+#if TORRENT_USE_WSTRING
+#define SetCurrentDirectory_ SetCurrentDirectoryW
+	std::wstring n = convert_to_wstring(f);
+#else
+#define SetCurrentDirectory_ SetCurrentDirectoryA
+	std::string const& n = convert_to_native(f);
+#endif // TORRENT_USE_WSTRING
+
+	if (SetCurrentDirectory_(n.c_str()) == 0)
+		ec.assign(GetLastError(), system_category());
+#else
+	std::string n = convert_to_native(f);
+	int ret = ::chdir(n.c_str());
+	if (ret != 0)
+		ec.assign(errno, system_category());
+#endif
+}
+
+struct unit_directory_guard
+{
+	std::string dir;
+	unit_directory_guard(std::string const& d) : dir(d) {}
+	~unit_directory_guard()
+	{
+		error_code ec;
+		std::string parent_dir = parent_path(dir);
+		change_directory(parent_dir, ec); // windows will not allow to remove current dir, so let's change it to root
+		if (ec)
+		{
+			TEST_ERROR("Failed to change directory: " + ec.message());
+			return;
+		}
+		if (!keep_files)
+		{
+			error_code ec;
+			remove_all(dir, ec);
+			if (ec)
+				TEST_ERROR("Failed to remove unit test directory: " + ec.message());
+		}
+	}
+};
+
 EXPORT int main(int argc, char const* argv[])
 {
 	char const* executable = argv[0];
@@ -321,24 +369,11 @@ EXPORT int main(int argc, char const* argv[])
 #else
 	process_id = getpid();
 #endif
+	std::string root_dir = current_working_directory();
 	char dir[40];
 	snprintf(dir, sizeof(dir), "test_tmp_%u", process_id);
-	std::string test_dir = complete(dir);
-	error_code ec;
-	create_directory(test_dir, ec);
-	if (ec)
-	{
-		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to create test directory: %s\n", ec.message().c_str());
-		return 1;
-	}
-#ifdef TORRENT_WINDOWS
-	SetCurrentDirectoryA(dir);
-#else
-	chdir(dir);
-#endif
-	fprintf(stderr, "cwd = \"%s\"\n", test_dir.c_str());
-
-	int total_failures = 0;
+	std::string unit_dir_prefix = combine_path(root_dir, dir);
+	std::printf("cwd_prefix = \"%s\"\n", unit_dir_prefix.c_str());
 
 	if (_g_num_unit_tests == 0)
 	{
@@ -355,6 +390,25 @@ EXPORT int main(int argc, char const* argv[])
 		if (filter && tests_to_run.count(_g_unit_tests[i].name) == 0)
 			continue;
 
+		std::string unit_dir = unit_dir_prefix;
+		char i_str[40];
+		snprintf(i_str, sizeof(i_str), "%u", i);
+		unit_dir.append(i_str);
+		error_code ec;
+		create_directory(unit_dir, ec);
+		if (ec)
+		{
+			std::printf("Failed to create unit test directory: %s\n", ec.message().c_str());
+			return 1;
+		}
+		unit_directory_guard unit_dir_guard(unit_dir);
+		change_directory(unit_dir, ec);
+		if (ec)
+		{
+			std::printf("Failed to change unit test directory: %s\n", ec.message().c_str());
+			return 1;
+		}
+
 		unit_test_t& t = _g_unit_tests[i];
 
 		if (redirect_stdout)
@@ -422,7 +476,6 @@ EXPORT int main(int argc, char const* argv[])
 
 		t.num_failures = _g_test_failures;
 		t.run = true;
-		total_failures += _g_test_failures;
 		++num_run;
 
 		if (redirect_stdout && t.output)
@@ -459,16 +512,8 @@ EXPORT int main(int argc, char const* argv[])
 	if (redirect_stdout) fflush(stdout);
 	if (redirect_stderr) fflush(stderr);
 
-	int ret = print_failures();
-#if !defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-	if (ret == 0 && !keep_files)
-	{
-		remove_all(test_dir, ec);
-		if (ec)
-			fprintf(stderr, "failed to remove test dir: %s\n", ec.message().c_str());
-	}
-#endif
+	int total_num_failures = print_failures();
 
-	return total_failures ? 333 : 0;
+	return total_num_failures ? 333 : 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/test.cpp b/test/test.cpp
index 93cacd099..770db6ce9 100644
--- a/test/test.cpp
+++ b/test/test.cpp
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 unit_test_t _g_unit_tests[1024];
 int _g_num_unit_tests = 0;
-int _g_test_failures = 0;
+int _g_test_failures = 0; // flushed at start of every unit
 int _g_test_idx = 0;
 
 static std::vector<std::string> failure_strings;
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ int print_failures()
 	}
 
 	fprintf(stderr, "\n\n");
+	int total_num_failures = 0;
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < _g_num_unit_tests; ++i)
 	{
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ int print_failures()
 		}
 		else
 		{
+			total_num_failures += _g_unit_tests[i].num_failures;
 			fprintf(stderr, "\x1b[31m[%-*s] %d FAILURES\n"
 				, longest_name
 				, _g_unit_tests[i].name
@@ -86,8 +88,8 @@ int print_failures()
 
 	fprintf(stderr, "\x1b[0m");
 
-	if (_g_test_failures > 0)
+	if (total_num_failures > 0)
 		fprintf(stderr, "\n\n\x1b[41m   == %d TEST(S) FAILED ==\x1b[0m\n\n\n", _g_test_failures);
-	return _g_test_failures;
+	return total_num_failures;
 }