diff --git a/__tests__/commands/_helpers.js b/__tests__/commands/_helpers.js
index 8a4e4ba757..97d845c757 100644
--- a/__tests__/commands/_helpers.js
+++ b/__tests__/commands/_helpers.js
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import Config from '../../src/config.js';
 
 const stream = require('stream');
 const path = require('path');
-const os = require('os');
 
 const fixturesLoc = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'fixtures', 'install');
 
@@ -79,13 +78,15 @@ export async function run<T, R>(
 
   const reporter = new Reporter({stdout, stderr: stdout});
 
-  const dir = path.join(fixturesLoc, name);
-  const cwd = path.join(
-    os.tmpdir(),
-    `yarn-${path.basename(dir)}-${Math.random()}`,
-  );
-  await fs.unlink(cwd);
-  await fs.copy(dir, cwd, reporter);
+  let cwd;
+  if (fixturesLoc) {
+    const dir = path.join(fixturesLoc, name);
+    cwd = await fs.makeTempDir(path.basename(dir));
+    await fs.copy(dir, cwd, reporter);
+  } else {
+    // if fixture loc is not set then CWD is some empty temp dir    
+    cwd = await fs.makeTempDir();
+  }
 
   for (const {basename, absolute} of await fs.walk(cwd)) {
     if (basename.toLowerCase() === '.ds_store') {
diff --git a/__tests__/commands/cache.js b/__tests__/commands/cache.js
index 27ed74a4cf..a169a64067 100644
--- a/__tests__/commands/cache.js
+++ b/__tests__/commands/cache.js
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ import * as fs from '../../src/util/fs.js';
 
 const path = require('path');
 
-jasmine.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_INTERVAL = 60000;
-
 const runConfig = buildRun.bind(
   null,
   reporters.ConsoleReporter,
diff --git a/__tests__/commands/global.js b/__tests__/commands/global.js
index 46d5f15145..a8a9d6f80a 100644
--- a/__tests__/commands/global.js
+++ b/__tests__/commands/global.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {run as buildRun} from './_helpers.js';
 import {run as global} from '../../src/cli/commands/global.js';
 import * as fs from '../../src/util/fs.js';
 import assert from 'assert';
+const isCI = require('is-ci');
 
 jasmine.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_INTERVAL = 90000;
 
@@ -34,12 +35,15 @@ function getTempGlobalFolder(): string {
   return path.join(os.tmpdir(), `yarn-global-${Math.random()}`);
 }
 
-test.concurrent('add without flag', (): Promise<void> => {
-  return runGlobal(['add', 'react-native-cli'], {}, 'add-without-flag', async (config) => {
-    assert.ok(await fs.exists(path.join(config.globalFolder, 'node_modules', 'react-native-cli')));
-    assert.ok(await fs.exists(path.join(config.globalFolder, 'node_modules', '.bin', 'react-native')));
+// this test has global folder side effects, run it only in CI
+if (isCI) {
+  test.concurrent('add without flag', (): Promise<void> => {
+    return runGlobal(['add', 'react-native-cli'], {}, 'add-without-flag', async (config) => {
+      assert.ok(await fs.exists(path.join(config.globalFolder, 'node_modules', 'react-native-cli')));
+      assert.ok(await fs.exists(path.join(config.globalFolder, 'node_modules', '.bin', 'react-native')));
+    });
   });
-});
+}
 
 test.concurrent('add with prefix flag', (): Promise<void> => {
   const tmpGlobalFolder = getTempGlobalFolder();
diff --git a/__tests__/commands/install/integration.js b/__tests__/commands/install/integration.js
index bb5ad56dbd..9618029795 100644
--- a/__tests__/commands/install/integration.js
+++ b/__tests__/commands/install/integration.js
@@ -174,19 +174,20 @@ test.concurrent('writes a lockfile even when there are no dependencies', (): Pro
   });
 });
 
-test.concurrent("throws an error if existing lockfile isn't satisfied with --frozen-lockfile", (): Promise<void> => {
-  const reporter = new reporters.ConsoleReporter({});
+test.concurrent(
+  "throws an error if existing lockfile isn't satisfied with --frozen-lockfile", 
+  async (): Promise<void> => {
+    const reporter = new reporters.ConsoleReporter({});
 
-  return new Promise((resolve) => {
+    let thrown = false;
     try {
-      runInstall({frozenLockfile: true}, 'install-throws-error-if-not-satisfied-and-frozen-lockfile', () => {});
+      await runInstall({frozenLockfile: true}, 'install-throws-error-if-not-satisfied-and-frozen-lockfile', () => {});
     } catch (err) {
+      thrown = true;
       expect(err.message).toContain(reporter.lang('frozenLockfileError'));
-    } finally {
-      resolve();
     }
+    assert(thrown);
   });
-});
 
 test.concurrent('install transitive optional dependency from lockfile', (): Promise<void> => {
   return runInstall({}, 'install-optional-dep-from-lockfile', (config, reporter, install) => {
diff --git a/src/util/fs.js b/src/util/fs.js
index 19c57a9dea..d47b783fa5 100644
--- a/src/util/fs.js
+++ b/src/util/fs.js
@@ -510,3 +510,14 @@ export async function writeFilePreservingEol(path: string, data: string) : Promi
   }
   await promisify(fs.writeFile)(path, data);
 }
+
+// not a strict polyfill for Node's fs.mkdtemp
+export async function makeTempDir(prefix?: string): Promise<string> {
+  const dir = path.join(
+    os.tmpdir(),
+    `yarn-${prefix || ''}-${Date.now()}-${Math.random()}`,
+  );
+  await unlink(dir);
+  await mkdirp(dir);
+  return dir;
+}