diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestListFiles.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestListFiles.java
index aae013fd77..df519c84e8 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestListFiles.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestListFiles.java
@@ -45,19 +45,39 @@ public class TestListFiles {
 
   final protected static Configuration conf = new Configuration();
   protected static FileSystem fs;
-  final protected static Path TEST_DIR = getTestDir();
+  protected static Path TEST_DIR;
   final private static int FILE_LEN = 10;
-  final private static Path FILE1 = new Path(TEST_DIR, "file1");
-  final private static Path DIR1 = new Path(TEST_DIR, "dir1");
-  final private static Path FILE2 = new Path(DIR1, "file2");
-  final private static Path FILE3 = new Path(DIR1, "file3");
+  private static Path FILE1;
+  private static Path DIR1;
+  private static Path FILE2;
+  private static Path FILE3;
+
+  static {
+    setTestPaths(new Path(
+      System.getProperty("test.build.data", "build/test/data/work-dir/localfs"),
+      "main_"));
+  }
 
   protected static Path getTestDir() {
-    return new Path(
-      System.getProperty("test.build.data","build/test/data/work-dir/localfs"),
-      "main_");
+    return TEST_DIR;
   }
-  
+
+  /**
+   * Sets the root testing directory and reinitializes any additional test paths
+   * that are under the root.  This method is intended to be called from a
+   * subclass's @BeforeClass method if there is a need to override the testing
+   * directory.
+   * 
+   * @param testDir Path root testing directory
+   */
+  protected static void setTestPaths(Path testDir) {
+    TEST_DIR = testDir;
+    FILE1 = new Path(TEST_DIR, "file1");
+    DIR1 = new Path(TEST_DIR, "dir1");
+    FILE2 = new Path(DIR1, "file2");
+    FILE3 = new Path(DIR1, "file3");
+  }
+
   @BeforeClass
   public static void testSetUp() throws Exception {
     fs = FileSystem.getLocal(conf);
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index 1e13a49e68..6b31b48262 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -310,6 +310,9 @@ Release 2.0.4-beta - UNRELEASED
   OPTIMIZATIONS
 
   BUG FIXES
+    
+    HDFS-4470. Several HDFS tests attempt file operations on invalid HDFS
+    paths when running on Windows. (Chris Nauroth via suresh)
 
 Release 2.0.3-alpha - 2013-02-06
 
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestFileLengthOnClusterRestart.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestFileLengthOnClusterRestart.java
index f63ba9a53a..8bafee67f8 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestFileLengthOnClusterRestart.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestFileLengthOnClusterRestart.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public void testFileLengthWithHSyncAndClusterRestartWithOutDNsRegister()
         .numDataNodes(2).build();
     HdfsDataInputStream in = null;
     try {
-      Path path = new Path(MiniDFSCluster.getBaseDirectory(), "test");
+      Path path = new Path("/tmp/TestFileLengthOnClusterRestart", "test");
       DistributedFileSystem dfs = (DistributedFileSystem) cluster
           .getFileSystem();
       FSDataOutputStream out = dfs.create(path);
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestLargeBlock.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestLargeBlock.java
index 9563361094..64c5ef4c05 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestLargeBlock.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestLargeBlock.java
@@ -183,8 +183,7 @@ public void runTest(final long blockSize) throws IOException {
     try {
 
       // create a new file in test data directory
-      Path file1 = new Path(System.getProperty("test.build.data") + "/" +
-          Long.toString(blockSize) + ".dat");
+      Path file1 = new Path("/tmp/TestLargeBlock", blockSize + ".dat");
       FSDataOutputStream stm = createFile(fs, file1, 1, blockSize);
       LOG.info("File " + file1 + " created with file size " +
           fileSize +
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestListFilesInDFS.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestListFilesInDFS.java
index ec9e7e2e48..d68563dec8 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestListFilesInDFS.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestListFilesInDFS.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ public class TestListFilesInDFS extends TestListFiles {
 
   @BeforeClass
   public static void testSetUp() throws Exception {
+    setTestPaths(new Path("/tmp/TestListFilesInDFS"));
     cluster = new MiniDFSCluster.Builder(conf).build();
     fs = cluster.getFileSystem();
     fs.delete(TEST_DIR, true);
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/TestRBWBlockInvalidation.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/TestRBWBlockInvalidation.java
index c07fae4773..0b7eaeeed9 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/TestRBWBlockInvalidation.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/TestRBWBlockInvalidation.java
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public void testBlockInvalidationWhenRBWReplicaMissedInDN()
     try {
       final FSNamesystem namesystem = cluster.getNamesystem();
       FileSystem fs = cluster.getFileSystem();
-      Path testPath = new Path(MiniDFSCluster.getBaseDirectory(), "foo1");
+      Path testPath = new Path("/tmp/TestRBWBlockInvalidation", "foo1");
       out = fs.create(testPath, (short) 2);
       out.writeBytes("HDFS-3157: " + testPath);
       out.hsync();