diff --git a/dev-support/flaky-tests/run-flaky-tests.Jenkinsfile b/dev-support/flaky-tests/run-flaky-tests.Jenkinsfile
index 30d748c86de0..9bc6ab4d27a4 100644
--- a/dev-support/flaky-tests/run-flaky-tests.Jenkinsfile
+++ b/dev-support/flaky-tests/run-flaky-tests.Jenkinsfile
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ pipeline {
         sh '''#!/usr/bin/env bash
           set -e
           declare -a curl_args=(--fail)
-          declare -a mvn_args=(--batch-mode -fn -Dbuild.id="${BUILD_ID}" -Dmaven.repo.local="${WORKSPACE}/local-repository" -Djava.io.tmpdir=target)
+          tmpdir=$(realpath target)
+          declare -a mvn_args=(--batch-mode -fn -Dbuild.id="${BUILD_ID}" -Dmaven.repo.local="${WORKSPACE}/local-repository" -Djava.io.tmpdir=${tmpdir})
           if [ "${DEBUG}" = "true" ]; then
             curl_args=("${curl_args[@]}" -v)
             mvn_args=("${mvn_args[@]}" -X)
diff --git a/dev-support/hbase-personality.sh b/dev-support/hbase-personality.sh
index 6a5ab1084fb8..bc04df5dc5b9 100755
--- a/dev-support/hbase-personality.sh
+++ b/dev-support/hbase-personality.sh
@@ -165,7 +165,9 @@ function personality_modules
   # Set java.io.tmpdir to avoid exhausting the /tmp space
   # Just simply set to 'target', it is not very critical so we do not care
   # whether it is placed in the root directory or a sub module's directory
-  extra="${extra} -Djava.io.tmpdir=target -DHBasePatchProcess"
+  # let's make it absolute
+  tmpdir=$(realpath target)
+  extra="${extra} -Djava.io.tmpdir=${tmpdir} -DHBasePatchProcess"
 
   if [[ "${PATCH_BRANCH}" = branch-1* ]]; then
     extra="${extra} -Dhttps.protocols=TLSv1.2"