diff --git a/light/example_test.go b/light/example_test.go
index d75678b6b..a542b8d3d 100644
--- a/light/example_test.go
+++ b/light/example_test.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import (
 func ExampleClient_Update() {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
-	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig()
+	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig("ExampleClient_Update")
 
 	// Start a test application
 	app := kvstore.NewApplication()
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func ExampleClient_Update() {
 func ExampleClient_VerifyLightBlockAtHeight() {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
-	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig()
+	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig("ExampleClient_VerifyLightBlockAtHeight")
 
 	// Start a test application
 	app := kvstore.NewApplication()
diff --git a/light/provider/http/http_test.go b/light/provider/http/http_test.go
index 758f67131..9be538806 100644
--- a/light/provider/http/http_test.go
+++ b/light/provider/http/http_test.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func NodeSuite(t *testing.T) (service.Service, *config.Config) {
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 
-	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig()
+	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig(t.Name())
 
 	// start a tendermint node in the background to test against
 	app := kvstore.NewApplication()
diff --git a/rpc/client/examples_test.go b/rpc/client/examples_test.go
index 774f16a50..8c4c4f277 100644
--- a/rpc/client/examples_test.go
+++ b/rpc/client/examples_test.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func ExampleHTTP_simple() {
 
 	// Start a tendermint node (and kvstore) in the background to test against
 	app := kvstore.NewApplication()
-	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig()
+	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig("ExampleHTTP_simple")
 
 	_, closer, err := rpctest.StartTendermint(ctx, conf, app, rpctest.SuppressStdout)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func ExampleHTTP_batching() {
 
 	// Start a tendermint node (and kvstore) in the background to test against
 	app := kvstore.NewApplication()
-	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig()
+	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig("ExampleHTTP_batching")
 
 	_, closer, err := rpctest.StartTendermint(ctx, conf, app, rpctest.SuppressStdout)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/rpc/client/main_test.go b/rpc/client/main_test.go
index 1063239a4..4e2c0405c 100644
--- a/rpc/client/main_test.go
+++ b/rpc/client/main_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func NodeSuite(t *testing.T) (service.Service, *config.Config) {
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 
-	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig()
+	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig(t.Name())
 
 	// start a tendermint node in the background to test against
 	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("/tmp", fmt.Sprint("rpc-client-test-", t.Name()))
diff --git a/rpc/grpc/grpc_test.go b/rpc/grpc/grpc_test.go
index 71cd9c9e6..45deb6b76 100644
--- a/rpc/grpc/grpc_test.go
+++ b/rpc/grpc/grpc_test.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func NodeSuite(t *testing.T) (service.Service, *config.Config) {
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 
-	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig()
+	conf := rpctest.CreateConfig(t.Name())
 
 	// start a tendermint node in the background to test against
 	app := kvstore.NewApplication()
diff --git a/rpc/test/helpers.go b/rpc/test/helpers.go
index e85ae12fd..259450540 100644
--- a/rpc/test/helpers.go
+++ b/rpc/test/helpers.go
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	abci "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/types"
@@ -54,18 +52,6 @@ func waitForGRPC(ctx context.Context, conf *cfg.Config) {
 	}
 }
 
-// f**ing long, but unique for each test
-func makePathname() string {
-	// get path
-	p, err := os.Getwd()
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	// fmt.Println(p)
-	sep := string(filepath.Separator)
-	return strings.ReplaceAll(p, sep, "_")
-}
-
 func randPort() int {
 	port, err := tmnet.GetFreePort()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -80,9 +66,8 @@ func makeAddrs() (string, string, string) {
 		fmt.Sprintf("tcp://127.0.0.1:%d", randPort())
 }
 
-func CreateConfig() *cfg.Config {
-	pathname := makePathname()
-	c := cfg.ResetTestRoot(pathname)
+func CreateConfig(testName string) *cfg.Config {
+	c := cfg.ResetTestRoot(testName)
 
 	// and we use random ports to run in parallel
 	tm, rpc, grpc := makeAddrs()