diff --git a/pkg/manager/lifecycle_test.go b/pkg/manager/lifecycle_test.go
index 520f445..822d798 100644
--- a/pkg/manager/lifecycle_test.go
+++ b/pkg/manager/lifecycle_test.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestInstanceTimeoutLogic(t *testing.T) {
-	testManager := createTestManager()
+	testManager := createTestManager(t)
 	defer testManager.Shutdown()
 
 	idleTimeout := 1 // 1 minute
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func TestInstanceTimeoutLogic(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestInstanceWithoutTimeoutNeverExpires(t *testing.T) {
-	testManager := createTestManager()
+	testManager := createTestManager(t)
 	defer testManager.Shutdown()
 
 	noTimeoutInst := createInstanceWithTimeout(t, testManager, "no-timeout-test", "/path/to/model.gguf", nil)
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func TestInstanceWithoutTimeoutNeverExpires(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestEvictLRUInstance_Success(t *testing.T) {
-	manager := createTestManager()
+	manager := createTestManager(t)
 	defer manager.Shutdown()
 
 	// Create 3 instances with idle timeout enabled (value doesn't matter for LRU logic)
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ func TestEvictLRUInstance_Success(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestEvictLRUInstance_NoRunningInstances(t *testing.T) {
-	manager := createTestManager()
+	manager := createTestManager(t)
 	defer manager.Shutdown()
 
 	err := manager.EvictLRUInstance()
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func TestEvictLRUInstance_NoRunningInstances(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestEvictLRUInstance_OnlyEvictsTimeoutEnabledInstances(t *testing.T) {
-	manager := createTestManager()
+	manager := createTestManager(t)
 	defer manager.Shutdown()
 
 	// Create mix of instances: some with timeout enabled, some disabled
diff --git a/pkg/manager/manager_test.go b/pkg/manager/manager_test.go
index 2ecbf9a..5f69909 100644
--- a/pkg/manager/manager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/manager/manager_test.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func TestDeleteInstance_RemovesPersistenceFile(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestConcurrentAccess(t *testing.T) {
-	mgr := createTestManager()
+	mgr := createTestManager(t)
 	defer mgr.Shutdown()
 
 	// Test concurrent operations
@@ -162,29 +162,8 @@ func createTestAppConfig(instancesDir string) *config.AppConfig {
 	}
 }
 
-func createTestManager() manager.InstanceManager {
-	appConfig := &config.AppConfig{
-		Backends: config.BackendConfig{
-			LlamaCpp: config.BackendSettings{
-				Command: "sleep",
-			},
-			MLX: config.BackendSettings{
-				Command: "sleep",
-			},
-		},
-		Instances: config.InstancesConfig{
-			PortRange:            [2]int{8000, 9000},
-			LogsDir:              "/tmp/test",
-			InstancesDir:         "/tmp/test",
-			MaxInstances:         10,
-			MaxRunningInstances:  10,
-			DefaultAutoRestart:   true,
-			DefaultMaxRestarts:   3,
-			DefaultRestartDelay:  5,
-			TimeoutCheckInterval: 5,
-		},
-		LocalNode: "main",
-		Nodes:     map[string]config.NodeConfig{},
-	}
+func createTestManager(t *testing.T) manager.InstanceManager {
+	tempDir := t.TempDir()
+	appConfig := createTestAppConfig(tempDir)
 	return manager.New(appConfig)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/manager/operations_test.go b/pkg/manager/operations_test.go
index d4bcb1b..a11526d 100644
--- a/pkg/manager/operations_test.go
+++ b/pkg/manager/operations_test.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestCreateInstance_FailsWithDuplicateName(t *testing.T) {
-	mngr := createTestManager()
+	mngr := createTestManager(t)
 	options := &instance.Options{
 		BackendOptions: backends.Options{
 			BackendType: backends.BackendTypeLlamaCpp,
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ func TestCreateInstance_FailsWithDuplicateName(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestCreateInstance_FailsWhenMaxInstancesReached(t *testing.T) {
+	tempDir := t.TempDir()
 	appConfig := &config.AppConfig{
 		Backends: config.BackendConfig{
 			LlamaCpp: config.BackendSettings{
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ func TestCreateInstance_FailsWhenMaxInstancesReached(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		Instances: config.InstancesConfig{
 			PortRange:            [2]int{8000, 9000},
+			InstancesDir:         tempDir,
 			MaxInstances:         1, // Very low limit for testing
 			TimeoutCheckInterval: 5,
 		},
@@ -77,7 +79,7 @@ func TestCreateInstance_FailsWhenMaxInstancesReached(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestCreateInstance_FailsWithPortConflict(t *testing.T) {
-	manager := createTestManager()
+	manager := createTestManager(t)
 
 	options1 := &instance.Options{
 		BackendOptions: backends.Options{
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ func TestCreateInstance_FailsWithPortConflict(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestInstanceOperations_FailWithNonExistentInstance(t *testing.T) {
-	manager := createTestManager()
+	manager := createTestManager(t)
 
 	options := &instance.Options{
 		BackendOptions: backends.Options{
@@ -143,7 +145,7 @@ func TestInstanceOperations_FailWithNonExistentInstance(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestDeleteInstance_RunningInstanceFails(t *testing.T) {
-	mgr := createTestManager()
+	mgr := createTestManager(t)
 	defer mgr.Shutdown()
 
 	options := &instance.Options{
@@ -171,7 +173,7 @@ func TestDeleteInstance_RunningInstanceFails(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestUpdateInstance(t *testing.T) {
-	mgr := createTestManager()
+	mgr := createTestManager(t)
 	defer mgr.Shutdown()
 
 	options := &instance.Options{
@@ -220,7 +222,7 @@ func TestUpdateInstance(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestUpdateInstance_ReleasesOldPort(t *testing.T) {
-	mgr := createTestManager()
+	mgr := createTestManager(t)
 	defer mgr.Shutdown()
 
 	options := &instance.Options{