diff --git a/test/common/README.md b/test/common/README.md
index 64f19269a01d03..1092cc1bbf52f4 100644
--- a/test/common/README.md
+++ b/test/common/README.md
@@ -369,12 +369,6 @@ const { spawn } = require('child_process');
 spawn(...common.pwdCommand, { stdio: ['pipe'] });
 ```
 
-### `rootDir`
-
-* [<string>][]
-
-Path to the 'root' directory. either `/` or `c:\\` (windows)
-
 ### `runWithInvalidFD(func)`
 
 * `func` [<Function>][]
diff --git a/test/common/index.js b/test/common/index.js
index 6d0f31e0993850..4c0c0f86d9820e 100644
--- a/test/common/index.js
+++ b/test/common/index.js
@@ -115,8 +115,6 @@ const isOSX = process.platform === 'darwin';
 
 const isDumbTerminal = process.env.TERM === 'dumb';
 
-const rootDir = isWindows ? 'c:\\' : '/';
-
 const buildType = process.config.target_defaults ?
   process.config.target_defaults.default_configuration :
   'Release';
@@ -726,7 +724,6 @@ const common = {
   platformTimeout,
   printSkipMessage,
   pwdCommand,
-  rootDir,
   runWithInvalidFD,
   skip,
   skipIf32Bits,
diff --git a/test/common/index.mjs b/test/common/index.mjs
index fe5ed9872948b7..c0bbb9d74e1cda 100644
--- a/test/common/index.mjs
+++ b/test/common/index.mjs
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ const {
   isOSX,
   enoughTestMem,
   enoughTestCpu,
-  rootDir,
   buildType,
   localIPv6Hosts,
   opensslCli,
@@ -66,7 +65,6 @@ export {
   isOSX,
   enoughTestMem,
   enoughTestCpu,
-  rootDir,
   buildType,
   localIPv6Hosts,
   opensslCli,
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-child-process-cwd.js b/test/parallel/test-child-process-cwd.js
index f2e0a29afb4a6d..af71edd8af3e35 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-child-process-cwd.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-child-process-cwd.js
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 
 'use strict';
 const common = require('../common');
+const tmpdir = require('../common/tmpdir');
+tmpdir.refresh();
+
 const assert = require('assert');
 const { spawn } = require('child_process');
 
@@ -63,7 +66,7 @@ function testCwd(options, expectCode = 0, expectData) {
 }
 
 // Assume these exist, and 'pwd' gives us the right directory back
-testCwd({ cwd: common.rootDir }, 0, common.rootDir);
+testCwd({ cwd: tmpdir.path }, 0, tmpdir.path);
 const shouldExistDir = common.isWindows ? process.env.windir : '/dev';
 testCwd({ cwd: shouldExistDir }, 0, shouldExistDir);
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawnsync.js b/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawnsync.js
index ae87d5245c8c71..c464dbefa68e5e 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawnsync.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawnsync.js
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 
 'use strict';
 const common = require('../common');
+const tmpdir = require('../common/tmpdir');
+tmpdir.refresh();
+
 const assert = require('assert');
 const { spawnSync } = require('child_process');
 const { getSystemErrorName } = require('util');
@@ -41,7 +44,7 @@ assert.deepStrictEqual(ret_err.spawnargs, ['bar']);
 
 {
   // Test the cwd option
-  const cwd = common.rootDir;
+  const cwd = tmpdir.path;
   const response = spawnSync(...common.pwdCommand, { cwd });
 
   assert.strictEqual(response.stdout.toString().trim(), cwd);
diff --git a/test/sequential/test-child-process-execsync.js b/test/sequential/test-child-process-execsync.js
index 171ccacab65bcc..5dbf5c2f9aa915 100644
--- a/test/sequential/test-child-process-execsync.js
+++ b/test/sequential/test-child-process-execsync.js
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 
 'use strict';
 const common = require('../common');
+const tmpdir = require('../common/tmpdir');
+tmpdir.refresh();
+
 const assert = require('assert');
 
 const { execFileSync, execSync, spawnSync } = require('child_process');
@@ -99,7 +102,7 @@ const args = [
 // Verify that the cwd option works.
 // See https://github.com/nodejs/node-v0.x-archive/issues/7824.
 {
-  const cwd = common.rootDir;
+  const cwd = tmpdir.path;
   const cmd = common.isWindows ? 'echo %cd%' : 'pwd';
   const response = execSync(cmd, { cwd });