diff --git a/drivers/mmc/sandbox_mmc.c b/drivers/mmc/sandbox_mmc.c
index f49cb4b146a..74427db7e06 100644
--- a/drivers/mmc/sandbox_mmc.c
+++ b/drivers/mmc/sandbox_mmc.c
@@ -170,11 +170,20 @@ static int sandbox_mmc_probe(struct udevice *dev)
 	int ret;
 
 	if (plat->fname) {
-		ret = os_map_file(plat->fname, OS_O_RDWR | OS_O_CREAT,
+		const char *fname = plat->fname;
+		char buf[256];
+
+		/*
+		 * Try persistent data directory first, then fall back to the
+		 * filename as given (for absolute paths or current directory)
+		 */
+		if (!os_persistent_file(buf, sizeof(buf), plat->fname))
+			fname = buf;
+		ret = os_map_file(fname, OS_O_RDWR | OS_O_CREAT,
 				  (void **)&priv->buf, &priv->size);
 		if (ret) {
 			log_err("%s: Unable to map file '%s'\n", dev->name,
-				plat->fname);
+				fname);
 			return ret;
 		}
 		priv->csize = priv->size / SIZE_MULTIPLE - 1;
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/sandbox_scsi.c b/drivers/scsi/sandbox_scsi.c
index 3c451313109..97afeddc2e9 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/sandbox_scsi.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/sandbox_scsi.c
@@ -104,9 +104,18 @@ static int sandbox_scsi_probe(struct udevice *dev)
 	info->block_size = SANDBOX_SCSI_BLOCK_LEN;
 
 	if (priv->pathname) {
-		priv->fd = os_open(priv->pathname, OS_O_RDONLY);
+		const char *pathname = priv->pathname;
+		char buf[256];
+
+		/*
+		 * Try persistent data directory first, then fall back to the
+		 * pathname as given (for absolute paths or current directory)
+		 */
+		if (!os_persistent_file(buf, sizeof(buf), priv->pathname))
+			pathname = buf;
+		priv->fd = os_open(pathname, OS_O_RDONLY);
 		if (priv->fd >= 0) {
-			ret = os_get_filesize(priv->pathname, &info->file_size);
+			ret = os_get_filesize(pathname, &info->file_size);
 			if (ret)
 				return log_msg_ret("sz", ret);
 		}
diff --git a/drivers/usb/emul/sandbox_flash.c b/drivers/usb/emul/sandbox_flash.c
index 25d968e91c7..82aa7062865 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/emul/sandbox_flash.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/emul/sandbox_flash.c
@@ -339,11 +339,19 @@ static int sandbox_flash_probe(struct udevice *dev)
 	struct sandbox_flash_plat *plat = dev_get_plat(dev);
 	struct sandbox_flash_priv *priv = dev_get_priv(dev);
 	struct scsi_emul_info *info = &priv->eminfo;
+	const char *pathname = plat->pathname;
+	char buf[256];
 	int ret;
 
-	priv->fd = os_open(plat->pathname, OS_O_RDWR);
+	/*
+	 * Try persistent data directory first, then fall back to the
+	 * pathname as given (for absolute paths or current directory)
+	 */
+	if (!os_persistent_file(buf, sizeof(buf), plat->pathname))
+		pathname = buf;
+	priv->fd = os_open(pathname, OS_O_RDWR);
 	if (priv->fd >= 0) {
-		ret = os_get_filesize(plat->pathname, &info->file_size);
+		ret = os_get_filesize(pathname, &info->file_size);
 		if (ret)
 			return log_msg_ret("sz", ret);
 	}
diff --git a/test/py/img/armbian.py b/test/py/img/armbian.py
index e1ae9b0aae9..db7fb43ddf6 100644
--- a/test/py/img/armbian.py
+++ b/test/py/img/armbian.py
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ booti ${kernel_addr_r} ${ramdisk_addr_r} ${fdt_addr_r}
     utils.run_and_log_no_ubman(log, f'echo here {kernel} {symlink}')
     os.symlink(kernel, symlink)
     fsh.mk_fs()
-    img = DiskHelper(config, mmc_dev, 'mmc', True)
+    img = DiskHelper(config, mmc_dev, 'mmc')
     img.add_fs(fsh, DiskHelper.EXT4)
     img.create()
     fsh.cleanup()
diff --git a/test/py/img/common.py b/test/py/img/common.py
index 547066b24a5..25edc84944e 100644
--- a/test/py/img/common.py
+++ b/test/py/img/common.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ def setup_extlinux_image(config, log, devnum, basename, vmlinux, initrd, dtbdir,
 
     fsh.mk_fs()
 
-    img = DiskHelper(config, devnum, basename, True)
+    img = DiskHelper(config, devnum, basename)
     img.add_fs(fsh, DiskHelper.VFAT, bootable=True)
 
     ext4 = FsHelper(config, 'ext4', max(1, part2_size - 30), prefix=basename,
diff --git a/test/py/img/efi.py b/test/py/img/efi.py
index 8239b4c247f..4cb55c957ec 100644
--- a/test/py/img/efi.py
+++ b/test/py/img/efi.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def setup_efi_image(config):
 
     fsh.mk_fs()
 
-    img = DiskHelper(config, devnum, 'flash', True)
+    img = DiskHelper(config, devnum, 'flash')
     img.add_fs(fsh, DiskHelper.VFAT)
     img.create()
     fsh.cleanup()
diff --git a/test/py/tests/test_ut.py b/test/py/tests/test_ut.py
index b9ba240c848..70a748a31f9 100644
--- a/test/py/tests/test_ut.py
+++ b/test/py/tests/test_ut.py
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ from img.localboot import setup_localboot_image
 def test_ut_dm_init(ubman):
     """Initialize data for ut dm tests."""
 
-    fn = ubman.config.source_dir + '/testflash.bin'
+    # This is used by flash-stick@0 in test.py
+    fn = ubman.config.persistent_data_dir + '/testflash.bin'
     if not os.path.exists(fn):
         data = b'this is a test'
         data += b'\x00' * ((4 * 1024 * 1024) - len(data))
@@ -47,8 +48,8 @@ def test_ut_dm_init(ubman):
         with open(fn, 'wb') as fh:
             fh.write(data)
 
-    # Create a file with a single partition
-    fn = ubman.config.source_dir + '/scsi.img'
+    # Create a file with a single partition (used by /scsi in test.dts) */
+    fn = ubman.config.persistent_data_dir + '/scsi.img'
     if not os.path.exists(fn):
         data = b'\x00' * (2 * 1024 * 1024)
         with open(fn, 'wb') as fh:
@@ -56,11 +57,13 @@ def test_ut_dm_init(ubman):
         utils.run_and_log(
             ubman, f'sfdisk {fn}', stdin=b'type=83')
 
+    # These two are used by test/dm/host.c
     FsHelper(ubman.config, 'ext2', 2, '2MB').mk_fs()
     FsHelper(ubman.config, 'fat32', 1, '1MB').mk_fs()
 
+    # This is used by test/cmd/mbr.c
     mmc_dev = 6
-    fn = os.path.join(ubman.config.source_dir, f'mmc{mmc_dev}.img')
+    fn = os.path.join(ubman.config.persistent_data_dir, f'mmc{mmc_dev}.img')
     data = b'\x00' * (12 * 1024 * 1024)
     with open(fn, 'wb') as fh:
         fh.write(data)