diff --git a/tests/path.py b/tests/path.py
index 2a4affe77..3e2c8f89e 100755
--- a/tests/path.py
+++ b/tests/path.py
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ class path(text_type):
         """
         return self.__class__(os.path.dirname(self))
 
+    def basename(self):
+        return os.path.basename(self)
+
     def abspath(self):
         """
         Returns the absolute path.
diff --git a/tests/test_build.py b/tests/test_build.py
index c355b1622..c8001271e 100644
--- a/tests/test_build.py
+++ b/tests/test_build.py
@@ -76,6 +76,6 @@ def test_nonascii_path():
         builder_names.append('man')
 
     for buildername in builder_names:
-        app = TestApp(buildername=buildername, srcdir='(temp)')
+        app = TestApp(buildername=buildername, _copy_to_temp=True)
         yield _test_nonascii_path, app
         app.cleanup()
diff --git a/tests/test_env.py b/tests/test_env.py
index 443f249c7..3dc7431b9 100644
--- a/tests/test_env.py
+++ b/tests/test_env.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ warnings = []
 
 def setup_module():
     global app, env
-    app = TestApp(srcdir='(temp)', freshenv=True)
+    app = TestApp(freshenv=True, _copy_to_temp=True)
     env = app.env
     env.set_warnfunc(lambda *args: warnings.append(args))
 
diff --git a/tests/test_linkcode.py b/tests/test_linkcode.py
index 83b720984..458477781 100644
--- a/tests/test_linkcode.py
+++ b/tests/test_linkcode.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import os
 from util import with_app
 
 
-@with_app(srcdir='(temp)', buildername='html', tags=['test_linkcode'])
+@with_app(buildername='html', tags=['test_linkcode'], _copy_to_temp=True)
 def test_html(app):
     app.builder.build_all()
 
diff --git a/tests/test_metadata.py b/tests/test_metadata.py
index 12a99a5d6..a3fd13587 100644
--- a/tests/test_metadata.py
+++ b/tests/test_metadata.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ warnings = []
 def setup_module():
     # Is there a better way of generating this doctree than manually iterating?
     global app, env
-    app = TestApp(srcdir='(temp)')
+    app = TestApp(_copy_to_temp=True)
     env = app.env
     msg, num, it = env.update(app.config, app.srcdir, app.doctreedir, app)
     for docname in it:
diff --git a/tests/util.py b/tests/util.py
index acb4b8573..1b5719b5f 100644
--- a/tests/util.py
+++ b/tests/util.py
@@ -130,7 +130,9 @@ class TestApp(application.Sphinx):
                  buildername='html', confoverrides=None,
                  status=None, warning=None, freshenv=None,
                  warningiserror=None, tags=None,
-                 confname='conf.py', cleanenv=False):
+                 confname='conf.py', cleanenv=False,
+                 _copy_to_temp=False,
+                 ):
 
         application.CONFIG_FILENAME = confname
 
@@ -138,12 +140,6 @@ class TestApp(application.Sphinx):
 
         if srcdir is None:
             srcdir = test_root
-        if srcdir == '(temp)':
-            tempdir = path(tempfile.mkdtemp())
-            self.cleanup_trees.append(tempdir)
-            temproot = tempdir / 'root'
-            test_root.copytree(temproot)
-            srcdir = temproot
         elif srcdir == '(empty)':
             tempdir = path(tempfile.mkdtemp())
             self.cleanup_trees.append(tempdir)
@@ -153,6 +149,14 @@ class TestApp(application.Sphinx):
             srcdir = temproot
         else:
             srcdir = path(srcdir)
+
+        if _copy_to_temp:
+            tempdir = path(tempfile.mkdtemp())
+            self.cleanup_trees.append(tempdir)
+            temproot = tempdir / srcdir.basename()
+            srcdir.copytree(temproot)
+            srcdir = temproot
+
         self.builddir = srcdir.joinpath('_build')
         if confdir is None:
             confdir = srcdir