diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
index c3dd5879bf..8d9a42433f 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ THREADS = 1
 VREF = tests/vsynth1/00.pgm
 AREF = tests/data/asynth1.sw
 
-OUTDIRS += tests/data tests/vsynth1 tests/data/filtergraphs
+FATE_OUTDIRS = tests/data tests/data/fate tests/data/filtergraphs tests/data/lavf tests/data/pixfmt tests/vsynth1
+OUTDIRS += $(FATE_OUTDIRS)
 
 $(VREF): tests/videogen$(HOSTEXESUF) | tests/vsynth1
 	$(M)./$< 'tests/vsynth1/'
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ $(addprefix fate-, $(IGNORE_TESTS)): REPORT=ignore
 
 fate: $(FATE)
 
-$(FATE): $(FATE_UTILS:%=tests/%$(HOSTEXESUF))
+$(FATE): $(FATE_UTILS:%=tests/%$(HOSTEXESUF)) | $(FATE_OUTDIRS)
 	@echo "TEST    $(@:fate-%=%)"
 	$(Q)$(SRC_PATH)/tests/fate-run.sh $@ "$(SAMPLES)" "$(TARGET_EXEC)" "$(TARGET_PATH)" '$(CMD)' '$(CMP)' '$(REF)' '$(FUZZ)' '$(THREADS)' '$(THREAD_TYPE)' '$(CPUFLAGS)' '$(CMP_SHIFT)' '$(CMP_TARGET)' '$(SIZE_TOLERANCE)' '$(CMP_UNIT)' '$(GEN)' '$(HWACCEL)' '$(REPORT)'
 
diff --git a/tests/fate-run.sh b/tests/fate-run.sh
index 8de749d4a7..b9b3d9763e 100755
--- a/tests/fate-run.sh
+++ b/tests/fate-run.sh
@@ -196,8 +196,6 @@ null(){
     :
 }
 
-mkdir -p "$outdir"
-
 exec 3>&2
 eval $command >"$outfile" 2>$errfile
 err=$?
diff --git a/tests/lavf-regression.sh b/tests/lavf-regression.sh
index fd4f5548d0..6a8919bdc2 100755
--- a/tests/lavf-regression.sh
+++ b/tests/lavf-regression.sh
@@ -237,7 +237,6 @@ fi
 
 if [ -n "$do_pixfmt" ] ; then
 outfile="$datadir/pixfmt/"
-mkdir -p "$outfile"
 conversions="yuv420p yuv422p yuv444p yuyv422 yuv410p yuv411p yuvj420p \
              yuvj422p yuvj444p rgb24 bgr24 rgb32 rgb565 rgb555 gray monow \
              monob yuv440p yuvj440p"
diff --git a/tests/regression-funcs.sh b/tests/regression-funcs.sh
index 3728d44980..fad2057a73 100755
--- a/tests/regression-funcs.sh
+++ b/tests/regression-funcs.sh
@@ -29,9 +29,6 @@ target_crcfile="$target_datadir/$this.crc"
 cleanfiles="$raw_dst $crcfile"
 trap 'rm -f -- $cleanfiles' EXIT
 
-mkdir -p "$datadir"
-mkdir -p "$outfile"
-
 [ "${V-0}" -gt 0 ] && echov=echov || echov=:
 
 echov(){