diff --git a/internal/statemachine/classic_test.go b/internal/statemachine/classic_test.go
index 3e8b44de..a81cfe78 100644
--- a/internal/statemachine/classic_test.go
+++ b/internal/statemachine/classic_test.go
@@ -429,9 +429,12 @@ func TestPrepareGadgetTree(t *testing.T) {
 		asserter.AssertErrNil(err, true)
 
 		// place a test gadget tree in the scratch directory so we don't have to build one
+		gadgetDir := filepath.Join(stateMachine.tempDirs.scratch, "gadget")
+		err = os.MkdirAll(gadgetDir, 0755)
+		asserter.AssertErrNil(err, true)
+
 		gadgetSource := filepath.Join("testdata", "gadget_tree")
-		gadgetDest := filepath.Join(stateMachine.tempDirs.scratch, "gadget", "install")
-		err = osutil.CopySpecialFile(gadgetSource, gadgetDest)
+		err = osutil.CopySpecialFile(gadgetSource, filepath.Join(gadgetDir, "install"))
 		asserter.AssertErrNil(err, true)
 
 		err = stateMachine.prepareGadgetTree()
@@ -503,9 +506,12 @@ func TestFailedPrepareGadgetTree(t *testing.T) {
 		asserter.AssertErrNil(err, true)
 
 		// place a test gadget tree in the  scratch directory so we don't have to build one
+		gadgetDir := filepath.Join(stateMachine.tempDirs.scratch, "gadget")
+		err = os.MkdirAll(gadgetDir, 0755)
+		asserter.AssertErrNil(err, true)
+
 		gadgetSource := filepath.Join("testdata", "gadget_tree")
-		gadgetDest := filepath.Join(stateMachine.tempDirs.scratch, "gadget", "install")
-		err = osutil.CopySpecialFile(gadgetSource, gadgetDest)
+		err = osutil.CopySpecialFile(gadgetSource, filepath.Join(gadgetDir, "install"))
 		asserter.AssertErrNil(err, true)
 
 		// mock os.Mkdir
@@ -4196,8 +4202,12 @@ func TestFailedUpdateBootloader(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// place a test gadget tree in the scratch directory so we don't
 		// have to build one
+		gadgetDir := filepath.Join(stateMachine.tempDirs.scratch, "gadget")
+		err = os.MkdirAll(gadgetDir, 0755)
+		asserter.AssertErrNil(err, true)
+
 		gadgetSource := filepath.Join("testdata", "gadget_tree")
-		gadgetDest := filepath.Join(stateMachine.tempDirs.scratch, "gadget", "install")
+		gadgetDest := filepath.Join(gadgetDir, "install")
 		err = osutil.CopySpecialFile(gadgetSource, gadgetDest)
 		asserter.AssertErrNil(err, true)
 		// also copy gadget.yaml to the root of the scratch/gadget dir
@@ -4255,8 +4265,12 @@ func TestUnsupportedBootloader(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// place a test gadget tree in the scratch directory so we don't
 		// have to build one
+		gadgetDir := filepath.Join(stateMachine.tempDirs.scratch, "gadget")
+		err = os.MkdirAll(gadgetDir, 0755)
+		asserter.AssertErrNil(err, true)
+
 		gadgetSource := filepath.Join("testdata", "gadget_tree")
-		gadgetDest := filepath.Join(stateMachine.tempDirs.scratch, "gadget", "install")
+		gadgetDest := filepath.Join(gadgetDir, "install")
 		err = osutil.CopySpecialFile(gadgetSource, gadgetDest)
 		asserter.AssertErrNil(err, true)
 		// also copy gadget.yaml to the root of the scratch/gadget dir