diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/GenericTestUtils.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/GenericTestUtils.java
index 61b0271d986..53eb2be3bb8 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/GenericTestUtils.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/GenericTestUtils.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.lang.RandomStringUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.impl.Log4JLogger;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileUtil;
+import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path;
 import org.apache.hadoop.util.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.hadoop.util.Time;
 import org.apache.log4j.Appender;
@@ -248,7 +249,7 @@ public abstract class GenericTestUtils {
    * @return the absolute directory for tests. Caller is expected to create it.
    */
   public static File getRandomizedTestDir() {
-    return new File(getRandomizedTempPath()).getAbsoluteFile();
+    return new File(getRandomizedTempPath());
   }
 
   /**
@@ -259,7 +260,9 @@ public abstract class GenericTestUtils {
    * @return a string to use in paths
    */
   public static String getTempPath(String subpath) {
-    String prop = System.getProperty(SYSPROP_TEST_DATA_DIR, DEFAULT_TEST_DATA_PATH);
+    String prop = (Path.WINDOWS) ? DEFAULT_TEST_DATA_PATH
+        : System.getProperty(SYSPROP_TEST_DATA_DIR, DEFAULT_TEST_DATA_PATH);
+
     if (prop.isEmpty()) {
       // corner case: property is there but empty
       prop = DEFAULT_TEST_DATA_PATH;