diff --git a/test/lisp/files-tests.el b/test/lisp/files-tests.el
index 8f6495a293c..07e1be015da 100644
--- a/test/lisp/files-tests.el
+++ b/test/lisp/files-tests.el
@@ -668,12 +668,14 @@ files-tests-file-name-non-special-expand-file-name-tilde
         abbreviated-home-dir)
     (files-tests--with-temp-non-special (tmpfile nospecial)
       (let (file-name-handler-alist)
-        (setq nospecial (file-name-quote (abbreviate-file-name tmpfile))))
+        (setq nospecial
+              (file-name-quote (concat "~/" (file-name-nondirectory tmpfile)))))
       (should (equal (expand-file-name nospecial)
                      (expand-file-name (file-name-unquote nospecial t)))))
     (files-tests--with-temp-non-special-and-file-name-handler (tmpfile nospecial)
       (let (file-name-handler-alist)
-        (setq nospecial (file-name-quote (abbreviate-file-name tmpfile))))
+        (setq nospecial
+              (file-name-quote (concat "~/" (file-name-nondirectory tmpfile)))))
       (should-not
        (equal (expand-file-name nospecial)
               ;; The file name handler deletes the ".special" extension.