diff --git a/pex/pex_info.py b/pex/pex_info.py
index 9a8024326..47832531d 100644
--- a/pex/pex_info.py
+++ b/pex/pex_info.py
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ def pex_root(self):
         # type: () -> str
         pex_root = os.path.realpath(os.path.expanduser(self.raw_pex_root))
         if not can_write_dir(pex_root):
-            tmp_root = safe_mkdtemp()
+            tmp_root = os.path.realpath(safe_mkdtemp())
             pex_warnings.warn(
                 "PEX_ROOT is configured as {pex_root} but that path is un-writeable, "
                 "falling back to a temporary PEX_ROOT of {tmp_root} which will hurt "
diff --git a/tests/test_variables.py b/tests/test_variables.py
index 1d9a240bc..66abc7c8a 100644
--- a/tests/test_variables.py
+++ b/tests/test_variables.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 from pex.util import named_temporary_file
 from pex.variables import NoValueError, Variables
 from testing import environment_as
+from testing.pytest.tmp import Tempdir
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from typing import Any
@@ -196,27 +197,27 @@ def test_pex_vars_defaults_stripped():
     assert Variables.PEX_VERBOSE.strip_default(v) is None
 
 
-def test_pex_root_unwriteable():
-    # type: () -> None
-    with temporary_dir() as td:
-        pex_root = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(td, "pex_root"))
-        os.mkdir(pex_root, 0o444)
+def test_pex_root_unwriteable(tmpdir):
+    # type: (Tempdir) -> None
+
+    pex_root = tmpdir.join("pex_root")
+    os.mkdir(pex_root, 0o444)
 
-        env = Variables(environ=dict(PEX_ROOT=pex_root))
+    env = Variables(environ=dict(PEX_ROOT=pex_root))
 
-        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as log:
-            assert pex_root != env.PEX_ROOT
+    with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as log:
+        assert pex_root != env.PEX_ROOT
 
-        assert 1 == len(log)
-        message = log[0].message
-        assert isinstance(message, PEXWarning)
-        assert pex_root in str(message)
-        assert env.PEX_ROOT is not None
-        assert env.PEX_ROOT in str(message)
+    assert 1 == len(log)
+    message = log[0].message
+    assert isinstance(message, PEXWarning)
+    assert pex_root in str(message)
+    assert env.PEX_ROOT is not None
+    assert env.PEX_ROOT in str(message)
 
-        assert (
-            env.PEX_ROOT == env.PEX_ROOT
-        ), "When an ephemeral PEX_ROOT is materialized it should be stable."
+    assert (
+        env.PEX_ROOT == env.PEX_ROOT
+    ), "When an ephemeral PEX_ROOT is materialized it should be stable."
 
 
 def test_pex_vars_value_or(tmpdir):