diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 8def90ee..02fb5012 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -116,7 +116,6 @@ include:
     - ninja -C "$PW_BUILD_DIR" install
     # misc environment only for wireplumber
     - export WP_BUILD_DIR="$PWD/build-wireplumber-$BUILD_ID"
-    - export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$(mktemp -p $PWD -d xdg-runtime-XXXXXX)"
     - export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$(dirname $(find "$PREFIX" -name 'libpipewire-*.pc')):$PKG_CONFIG_PATH"
   script:
     # Build wireplumber
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index 448c7631..7937fb8b 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ endif
 
 # The common test environment
 common_test_env = environment({
+  'HOME': '/invalid',
+  'XDG_RUNTIME_DIR': '/invalid',
+  'PIPEWIRE_RUNTIME_DIR': meson.current_build_dir(),
   'XDG_CONFIG_HOME': meson.current_build_dir() / '.config',
   'WIREPLUMBER_CONFIG_DIR': '/invalid',
   'WIREPLUMBER_DATA_DIR': '/invalid',