diff --git a/tests/integration/files/file/base/_modules/runtests_helpers.py b/tests/integration/files/file/base/_modules/runtests_helpers.py
index 3ee0e2da5f..5b462f0a9e 100644
--- a/tests/integration/files/file/base/_modules/runtests_helpers.py
+++ b/tests/integration/files/file/base/_modules/runtests_helpers.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ try:
     from tests.support.runtests import RUNTIME_VARS
 except ImportError:
     # Salt SSH Tests
-    SYS_TMP_DIR = os.path.realpath(
+    SYS_TMP_DIR = os.path.abspath(
         # Avoid ${TMPDIR} and gettempdir() on MacOS as they yield a base path too long
         # for unix sockets: ``error: AF_UNIX path too long``
         # Gentoo Portage prefers ebuild tests are rooted in ${TMPDIR}
diff --git a/tests/support/paths.py b/tests/support/paths.py
index 5f28904858..26245fadf9 100644
--- a/tests/support/paths.py
+++ b/tests/support/paths.py
@@ -48,14 +48,12 @@ if TESTS_DIR not in sys.path:
     sys.path.insert(1, TESTS_DIR)
 
 SYS_TMP_DIR = os.path.abspath(
-    os.path.realpath(
-        # Avoid ${TMPDIR} and gettempdir() on MacOS as they yield a base path too long
-        # for unix sockets: ``error: AF_UNIX path too long``
-        # Gentoo Portage prefers ebuild tests are rooted in ${TMPDIR}
-        os.environ.get("TMPDIR", tempfile.gettempdir())
-        if not sys.platform.startswith("darwin")
-        else "/tmp"
-    )
+    # Avoid ${TMPDIR} and gettempdir() on MacOS as they yield a base path too long
+    # for unix sockets: ``error: AF_UNIX path too long``
+    # Gentoo Portage prefers ebuild tests are rooted in ${TMPDIR}
+    os.environ.get("TMPDIR", tempfile.gettempdir())
+    if not sys.platform.startswith("darwin")
+    else "/tmp"
 )
 TMP = os.path.join(SYS_TMP_DIR, "salt-tests-tmpdir")
 TMP_ROOT_DIR = os.path.join(TMP, "rootdir")