diff --git a/Lib/test/test_py_compile.py b/Lib/test/test_py_compile.py
index 4a6caa571875d7..5e35b8d8051f7a 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_py_compile.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_py_compile.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 class PyCompileTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
-        self.directory = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        self.directory = tempfile.mkdtemp(dir=os.getcwd())
         self.source_path = os.path.join(self.directory, '_test.py')
         self.pyc_path = self.source_path + 'c'
         self.cache_path = importlib.util.cache_from_source(self.source_path)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/macOS/2019-12-17-03-43-04.bpo-38295.hgDvlB.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/macOS/2019-12-17-03-43-04.bpo-38295.hgDvlB.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..cc9ceb4cc50b30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/macOS/2019-12-17-03-43-04.bpo-38295.hgDvlB.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Prevent failure of test_relative_path in test_py_compile on macOS Catalina.