diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-hs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/hs/TestHistoryFileManager.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-hs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/hs/TestHistoryFileManager.java
index 18e3e6a38a..aa2e979651 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-hs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/hs/TestHistoryFileManager.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-hs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/hs/TestHistoryFileManager.java
@@ -71,8 +71,9 @@ public static void setUpClass() throws Exception {
     Configuration conf = new HdfsConfiguration();
     Configuration conf2 = new HdfsConfiguration();
     dfsCluster = new MiniDFSCluster.Builder(conf).build();
-    conf2.set(MiniDFSCluster.HDFS_MINIDFS_BASEDIR,
-            conf.get(MiniDFSCluster.HDFS_MINIDFS_BASEDIR) + "_2");
+    conf2.set(MiniDFSCluster.HDFS_MINIDFS_BASEDIR, conf.get(
+        MiniDFSCluster.HDFS_MINIDFS_BASEDIR, MiniDFSCluster.getBaseDirectory())
+        + "_2");
     dfsCluster2 = new MiniDFSCluster.Builder(conf2).build();
   }
 
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestFieldSelection.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestFieldSelection.java
index 239c239230..29333b7bfd 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestFieldSelection.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestFieldSelection.java
@@ -44,8 +44,9 @@ public static void launch() throws Exception {
     FileSystem fs = FileSystem.get(conf);
     int numOfInputLines = 10;
 
-    Path OUTPUT_DIR = new Path("build/test/output_for_field_selection_test");
-    Path INPUT_DIR = new Path("build/test/input_for_field_selection_test");
+    String baseDir = System.getProperty("test.build.data", "build/test/data");
+    Path OUTPUT_DIR = new Path(baseDir + "/output_for_field_selection_test");
+    Path INPUT_DIR = new Path(baseDir + "/input_for_field_selection_test");
     String inputFile = "input.txt";
     fs.delete(INPUT_DIR, true);
     fs.mkdirs(INPUT_DIR);
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestMRTimelineEventHandling.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestMRTimelineEventHandling.java
index a82007f97c..40ed9ad116 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestMRTimelineEventHandling.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestMRTimelineEventHandling.java
@@ -97,9 +97,10 @@ public void testMRTimelineEventHandling() throws Exception {
           + cluster.getApplicationHistoryServer().getPort());
       TimelineStore ts = cluster.getApplicationHistoryServer()
               .getTimelineStore();
-
-      Path inDir = new Path("input");
-      Path outDir = new Path("output");
+      String localPathRoot = System.getProperty("test.build.data",
+          "build/test/data");
+      Path inDir = new Path(localPathRoot, "input");
+      Path outDir = new Path(localPathRoot, "output");
       RunningJob job =
               UtilsForTests.runJobSucceed(new JobConf(conf), inDir, outDir);
       Assert.assertEquals(JobStatus.SUCCEEDED,
@@ -155,8 +156,10 @@ public void testMapreduceJobTimelineServiceEnabled()
       TimelineStore ts = cluster.getApplicationHistoryServer()
           .getTimelineStore();
 
-      Path inDir = new Path("input");
-      Path outDir = new Path("output");
+      String localPathRoot = System.getProperty("test.build.data",
+          "build/test/data");
+      Path inDir = new Path(localPathRoot, "input");
+      Path outDir = new Path(localPathRoot, "output");
       RunningJob job =
           UtilsForTests.runJobSucceed(new JobConf(conf), inDir, outDir);
       Assert.assertEquals(JobStatus.SUCCEEDED,
@@ -195,8 +198,10 @@ public void testMapreduceJobTimelineServiceEnabled()
       TimelineStore ts = cluster.getApplicationHistoryServer()
           .getTimelineStore();
 
-      Path inDir = new Path("input");
-      Path outDir = new Path("output");
+      String localPathRoot = System.getProperty("test.build.data",
+          "build/test/data");
+      Path inDir = new Path(localPathRoot, "input");
+      Path outDir = new Path(localPathRoot, "output");
 
       conf.setBoolean(MRJobConfig.MAPREDUCE_JOB_EMIT_TIMELINE_DATA, false);
       RunningJob job =
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestMiniMRChildTask.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestMiniMRChildTask.java
index 74be8a758d..cbeeccffc7 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestMiniMRChildTask.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestMiniMRChildTask.java
@@ -436,8 +436,10 @@ public void testMapRedExecutionEnv() {
 
       JobConf conf = new JobConf(mr.getConfig());
       // initialize input, output directories
-      Path inDir = new Path("input");
-      Path outDir = new Path("output");
+      Path rootDir = new Path(System.getProperty("test.build.data",
+          "build/test/data"));
+      Path inDir = new Path(rootDir, "input");
+      Path outDir = new Path(rootDir, "output");
       String input = "The input";
 
       // set config to use the ExecutionEnvCheckMapClass map class
@@ -462,9 +464,10 @@ public void testMapRedExecutionEnv() {
   public void testTaskEnv(){
     try {
       JobConf conf = new JobConf(mr.getConfig());
+      String baseDir = System.getProperty("test.build.data", "build/test/data");
       // initialize input, output directories
-      Path inDir = new Path("testing/wc/input1");
-      Path outDir = new Path("testing/wc/output1");
+      Path inDir = new Path(baseDir + "/testing/wc/input1");
+      Path outDir = new Path(baseDir + "/testing/wc/output1");
       FileSystem outFs = outDir.getFileSystem(conf);
       runTestTaskEnv(conf, inDir, outDir, false);
       outFs.delete(outDir, true);
@@ -485,9 +488,10 @@ public void testTaskEnv(){
   public void testTaskOldEnv(){
     try {
       JobConf conf = new JobConf(mr.getConfig());
+      String baseDir = System.getProperty("test.build.data", "build/test/data");
       // initialize input, output directories
-      Path inDir = new Path("testing/wc/input1");
-      Path outDir = new Path("testing/wc/output1");
+      Path inDir = new Path(baseDir + "/testing/wc/input1");
+      Path outDir = new Path(baseDir + "/testing/wc/output1");
       FileSystem outFs = outDir.getFileSystem(conf);
       runTestTaskEnv(conf, inDir, outDir, true);
       outFs.delete(outDir, true);
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestOldCombinerGrouping.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestOldCombinerGrouping.java
index 80a670209d..046c2d37ee 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestOldCombinerGrouping.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/TestOldCombinerGrouping.java
@@ -37,8 +37,9 @@
 import java.util.UUID;
 
 public class TestOldCombinerGrouping {
-  private static String TEST_ROOT_DIR =
-      new File("build", UUID.randomUUID().toString()).getAbsolutePath();
+  private static String TEST_ROOT_DIR = new File(System.getProperty(
+      "test.build.data", "build/test/data"), UUID.randomUUID().toString())
+          .getAbsolutePath();
 
   public static class Map implements
       Mapper<LongWritable, Text, Text, LongWritable> {
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/lib/aggregate/TestAggregates.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/lib/aggregate/TestAggregates.java
index 6da96ce22b..e2fdd429c5 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/lib/aggregate/TestAggregates.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/lib/aggregate/TestAggregates.java
@@ -46,8 +46,9 @@ public static void launch() throws Exception {
     FileSystem fs = FileSystem.get(conf);
     int numOfInputLines = 20;
 
-    Path OUTPUT_DIR = new Path("build/test/output_for_aggregates_test");
-    Path INPUT_DIR = new Path("build/test/input_for_aggregates_test");
+    String baseDir = System.getProperty("test.build.data", "build/test/data");
+    Path OUTPUT_DIR = new Path(baseDir + "/output_for_aggregates_test");
+    Path INPUT_DIR = new Path(baseDir + "/input_for_aggregates_test");
     String inputFile = "input.txt";
     fs.delete(INPUT_DIR, true);
     fs.mkdirs(INPUT_DIR);
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ public static void launch() throws Exception {
     outdata = outdata.substring(0, expectedOutput.toString().length());
 
     assertEquals(expectedOutput.toString(),outdata);
-    //fs.delete(OUTPUT_DIR);
+    fs.delete(OUTPUT_DIR, true);
     fs.delete(INPUT_DIR, true);
   }
 
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/TestNewCombinerGrouping.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/TestNewCombinerGrouping.java
index ab9ddbb4aa..c2054f1d4c 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/TestNewCombinerGrouping.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/TestNewCombinerGrouping.java
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@
 import java.util.UUID;
 
 public class TestNewCombinerGrouping {
-  private static String TEST_ROOT_DIR =
-      new File("build", UUID.randomUUID().toString()).getAbsolutePath();
+  private static String TEST_ROOT_DIR = new File(System.getProperty(
+      "test.build.data", "build/test/data"), UUID.randomUUID().toString())
+          .getAbsolutePath();
 
   public static class Map extends
       Mapper<LongWritable, Text, Text, LongWritable> {
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/lib/aggregate/TestMapReduceAggregates.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/lib/aggregate/TestMapReduceAggregates.java
index f24dffe265..788ad41ff9 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/lib/aggregate/TestMapReduceAggregates.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/lib/aggregate/TestMapReduceAggregates.java
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ public static void launch() throws Exception {
     FileSystem fs = FileSystem.get(conf);
     int numOfInputLines = 20;
 
-    Path OUTPUT_DIR = new Path("build/test/output_for_aggregates_test");
-    Path INPUT_DIR = new Path("build/test/input_for_aggregates_test");
+    String baseDir = System.getProperty("test.build.data", "build/test/data");
+    Path OUTPUT_DIR = new Path(baseDir + "/output_for_aggregates_test");
+    Path INPUT_DIR = new Path(baseDir + "/input_for_aggregates_test");
     String inputFile = "input.txt";
     fs.delete(INPUT_DIR, true);
     fs.mkdirs(INPUT_DIR);
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/lib/input/TestCombineFileInputFormat.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/lib/input/TestCombineFileInputFormat.java
index b49f2d831a..1fca5c982b 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/lib/input/TestCombineFileInputFormat.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/lib/input/TestCombineFileInputFormat.java
@@ -1772,7 +1772,9 @@ public void testForNonDefaultFileSystem() throws Throwable {
     // default fs path
     assertEquals(DUMMY_FS_URI, FileSystem.getDefaultUri(conf).toString());
     // add a local file
-    Path localPath = new Path("testFile1");
+    String localPathRoot = System.getProperty("test.build.data",
+        "build/test/data");
+    Path localPath = new Path(localPathRoot, "testFile1");
     FileSystem lfs = FileSystem.getLocal(conf);
     FSDataOutputStream dos = lfs.create(localPath);
     dos.writeChars("Local file for CFIF");