diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py b/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
index 08e3d2df2..12529b3e4 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ class Backend():
         datafile = open(benchmark_data, 'wb')
         self.write_benchmark_file(datafile)
         datafile.close()
+        return (test_data, benchmark_data)
 
     def has_source_suffix(self, target, suffix):
         for s in target.get_sources():
diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
index 99643227a..f39c02bec 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
@@ -597,10 +597,9 @@ int dummy;
             elem.write(outfile)
 
     def generate_tests(self, outfile):
-        self.serialise_tests()
+        (test_data, benchmark_data) = self.serialise_tests()
         valgrind = environment.find_valgrind()
         script_root = self.environment.get_script_dir()
-        test_data = os.path.join(self.environment.get_scratch_dir(), 'meson_test_setup.dat')
         cmd = [ sys.executable, self.environment.get_build_command(), '--internal', 'test' ]
         if not self.environment.coredata.get_builtin_option('stdsplit'):
             cmd += ['--no-stdsplit']
@@ -623,7 +622,6 @@ int dummy;
 
         # And then benchmarks.
         benchmark_script = os.path.join(script_root, 'meson_benchmark.py')
-        benchmark_data = os.path.join(self.environment.get_scratch_dir(), 'meson_benchmark_setup.dat')
         cmd = [sys.executable, self.environment.get_build_command(), '--internal', 'benchmark', benchmark_data]
         elem = NinjaBuildElement(self.all_outputs, 'benchmark', 'CUSTOM_COMMAND', ['all', 'PHONY'])
         elem.add_item('COMMAND', cmd)
diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/vs2010backend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/vs2010backend.py
index 725b8ed72..5199ea5c3 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/vs2010backend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/vs2010backend.py
@@ -773,7 +773,6 @@ if %%errorlevel%% neq 0 goto :VCEnd'''
         ET.SubElement(midl, 'ProxyFileName').text = '%(Filename)_p.c'
         postbuild = ET.SubElement(action, 'PostBuildEvent')
         ET.SubElement(postbuild, 'Message')
-        test_data = os.path.join(self.environment.get_scratch_dir(), 'meson_test_setup.dat')
         test_command = [sys.executable,
                         self.environment.get_build_command(),
                         '--internal',
@@ -787,14 +786,12 @@ endlocal & call :cmErrorLevel %%errorlevel%% & goto :cmDone
 exit /b %%1
 :cmDone
 if %%errorlevel%% neq 0 goto :VCEnd'''
+        test_data = self.serialise_tests()[0]
         ET.SubElement(postbuild, 'Command').text =\
             cmd_templ % ('" "'.join(test_command), test_data)
         ET.SubElement(root, 'Import', Project='$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets')
         tree = ET.ElementTree(root)
         tree.write(ofname, encoding='utf-8', xml_declaration=True)
-        datafile = open(test_data, 'wb')
-        self.serialise_tests()
-        datafile.close()
         # ElementTree can not do prettyprinting so do it manually
         #doc = xml.dom.minidom.parse(ofname)
         #open(ofname, 'w').write(doc.toprettyxml())
diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/xcodebackend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/xcodebackend.py
index 6bda826a8..0ce90cedc 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/xcodebackend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/xcodebackend.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class XCodeBackend(backends.Backend):
 
     def generate(self, interp):
         self.interpreter = interp
-        self.serialise_tests()
+        test_data = self.serialise_tests()[0]
         self.generate_filemap()
         self.generate_buildmap()
         self.generate_buildstylemap()
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class XCodeBackend(backends.Backend):
         self.generate_pbx_group()
         self.generate_pbx_native_target()
         self.generate_pbx_project()
-        self.generate_pbx_shell_build_phase()
+        self.generate_pbx_shell_build_phase(test_data)
         self.generate_pbx_sources_build_phase()
         self.generate_pbx_target_dependency()
         self.generate_xc_build_configuration()
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ class XCodeBackend(backends.Backend):
         self.write_line('};')
         self.ofile.write('/* End PBXProject section */\n')
 
-    def generate_pbx_shell_build_phase(self):
+    def generate_pbx_shell_build_phase(self, test_data):
         self.ofile.write('\n/* Begin PBXShellScriptBuildPhase section */\n')
         self.write_line('%s = {' % self.test_command_id)
         self.indent_level += 1
@@ -496,7 +496,6 @@ class XCodeBackend(backends.Backend):
         self.write_line('shellPath = /bin/sh;')
         script_root = self.environment.get_script_dir()
         test_script = os.path.join(script_root, 'meson_test.py')
-        test_data = os.path.join(self.environment.get_scratch_dir(), 'meson_test_setup.dat')
         cmd = [sys.executable, test_script, test_data, '--wd', self.environment.get_build_dir()]
         cmdstr = ' '.join(["'%s'" % i for i in cmd])
         self.write_line('shellScript = "%s";' % cmdstr)