diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_utils.py b/test/unit/common/test_utils.py
index e876690b1f..11f0fa5bcf 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_utils.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_utils.py
@@ -252,26 +252,29 @@ class TestUtils(unittest.TestCase):
 foo = bar
 
 [section2]
-log_name = yarr
-        '''
-        result = utils.readconf(StringIO(conf))
+log_name = yarr'''
+        f = open('/tmp/test', 'wb')
+        f.write(conf)
+        f.close()
+        result = utils.readconf('/tmp/test')
         expected = {'section1': {'foo': 'bar'}, 'section2': {'log_name': 'yarr'}}
         self.assertEquals(result, expected)
-        result = utils.readconf(StringIO(conf), 'section1')
+        result = utils.readconf('/tmp/test', 'section1')
         expected = {'foo': 'bar'}
         self.assertEquals(result, expected)
-        result = utils.readconf(StringIO(conf), 'section2').get('log_name')
+        result = utils.readconf('/tmp/test', 'section2').get('log_name')
         expected = 'yarr'
         self.assertEquals(result, expected)
-        result = utils.readconf(StringIO(conf), 'section1').get('log_name')
+        result = utils.readconf('/tmp/test', 'section1').get('log_name')
         expected = 'section1'
         self.assertEquals(result, expected)
-        result = utils.readconf(StringIO(conf), 'section1', log_name='foo').get('log_name')
+        result = utils.readconf('/tmp/test', 'section1', log_name='foo').get('log_name')
         expected = 'foo'
         self.assertEquals(result, expected)
-        result = utils.readconf(StringIO(conf), 'section1', defaults={'bar': 'baz'})
+        result = utils.readconf('/tmp/test', 'section1', defaults={'bar': 'baz'})
         expected = {'foo': 'bar', 'bar': 'baz'}
         self.assertEquals(result, expected)
+        os.unlink('/tmp/test')
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()