diff --git a/packages/server/__snapshots__/8_read_only_fs.ts.js b/packages/server/__snapshots__/8_read_only_fs.ts.js
index 5752c1c2d6ee..ef6e98de675a 100644
--- a/packages/server/__snapshots__/8_read_only_fs.ts.js
+++ b/packages/server/__snapshots__/8_read_only_fs.ts.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 exports['e2e project dir access / warns when unable to write to dir'] = `
-Folder /var/folders/k1/3m_8g1215_3ds89dv0g55fn40000gn/T/71d038ec is not writable.
+Folder /tmp/8_read_only_fs is not writable.
 
 Writing to this directory is required by Cypress in order to store screenshots and videos.
 
@@ -47,17 +47,17 @@ Warning: We failed to record the video.
 
 This error will not alter the exit code.
 
-Error: ffmpeg exited with code 1: /var/folders/k1/3m_8g1215_3ds89dv0g55fn40000gn/T/71d038ec/cypress/videos/spec.js.mp4: Permission denied
+Error: ffmpeg exited with code 1: /tmp/8_read_only_fs/cypress/videos/spec.js.mp4: Permission denied
 
-    [stack trace lines]
+      [stack trace lines]
 
 Warning: We failed processing this video.
 
 This error will not alter the exit code.
 
-Error: ffmpeg exited with code 1: /var/folders/k1/3m_8g1215_3ds89dv0g55fn40000gn/T/71d038ec/cypress/videos/spec.js.mp4: Permission denied
+Error: ffmpeg exited with code 1: /tmp/8_read_only_fs/cypress/videos/spec.js.mp4: Permission denied
 
-    [stack trace lines]
+      [stack trace lines]
 
 
 ====================================================================================================
diff --git a/packages/server/package.json b/packages/server/package.json
index f3982c2546d9..8b11350baf30 100644
--- a/packages/server/package.json
+++ b/packages/server/package.json
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@
     "chai-as-promised": "7.1.1",
     "chai-subset": "1.6.0",
     "chai-uuid": "1.0.6",
+    "chmodr": "1.2.0",
     "chokidar-cli": "1.2.2",
     "chrome-har-capturer": "0.13.4",
     "coffee-coverage": "3.0.1",
@@ -200,4 +201,4 @@
   "optionalDependencies": {
     "registry-js": "1.8.0"
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/server/test/e2e/8_read_only_fs.ts b/packages/server/test/e2e/8_read_only_fs.ts
index 352e29319c36..ad01724932e8 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/e2e/8_read_only_fs.ts
+++ b/packages/server/test/e2e/8_read_only_fs.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
-import * as fs from 'fs-extra'
-import * as os from 'os'
+import * as fs from 'fs'
 import * as path from 'path'
-import * as crypto from 'crypto'
 
 const e2e = require('../support/helpers/e2e')
+const chmodr = require('chmodr')
 
 describe('e2e project dir access', function () {
   e2e.setup()
-  const projectDir: string = path.join(os.tmpdir(), crypto.randomBytes(4).toString('hex'))
+  const projectDir: string = path.join('/', 'tmp', '8_read_only_fs')
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     if (fs.existsSync(projectDir)) {
@@ -18,18 +17,14 @@ describe('e2e project dir access', function () {
     // we cant sue one define by source code since we need to modify the file permissions on the dir and files
     fs.mkdirSync(path.join(projectDir))
 
-    fs.writeFile(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress.json'), `{"projectId": "2pz86o"}`)
-
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress.json'), `{"projectId": "2pz86o"}`)
     fs.mkdirSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress'))
     fs.mkdirSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'integration'))
     fs.writeFileSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'integration', 'spec.js'), `it('test',() => expect(true).to.be.true )`)
-
     fs.mkdirSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'plugins'))
     fs.writeFileSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'plugins', 'index.js'), `module.exports = () => {}`)
-
     fs.mkdirSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'support'))
     fs.writeFileSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'support', 'index.js'), `module.exports = () => {}`)
-
     fs.mkdirSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'videos'))
 
     // setup the file/folder permissions
@@ -37,17 +32,7 @@ describe('e2e project dir access', function () {
     // the dir needs executable for debugging
     // the main test here is that it isn't writable, which would be either 6 or 7
     // See here for more info on these numbers http://permissions-calculator.org/
-    const readExe = 0o500
-
-    fs.chmodSync(path.join(projectDir), readExe)
-    fs.chmodSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress'), readExe)
-    fs.chmodSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'integration'), readExe)
-    fs.chmodSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'integration', 'spec.js'), readExe)
-    fs.chmodSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'plugins'), readExe)
-    fs.chmodSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'plugins', 'index.js'), readExe)
-    fs.chmodSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'support'), readExe)
-    fs.chmodSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'support', 'index.js'), readExe)
-    fs.chmodSync(path.join(projectDir, 'cypress', 'videos'), readExe)
+    chmodr.sync(projectDir, 0o500)
 
     // test that we setup the folder structure correctly
     let err: any
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 8e80f6e94e0a..ba6e430e2d4a 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -7751,6 +7751,11 @@ cheerio@^1.0.0-rc.3:
     lodash "^4.15.0"
     parse5 "^3.0.1"
 
+chmodr@1.2.0:
+  version "1.2.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/chmodr/-/chmodr-1.2.0.tgz#720e96caa09b7f1cdbb01529b7d0ab6bc5e118b9"
+  integrity sha512-Y5uI7Iq/Az6HgJEL6pdw7THVd7jbVOTPwsmcPOBjQL8e3N+pz872kzK5QxYGEy21iRys+iHWV0UZQXDFJo1hyA==
+
 chokidar-cli@1.2.2:
   version "1.2.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/chokidar-cli/-/chokidar-cli-1.2.2.tgz#fbfddcf1f9062c07744f0bbeb6f60a49de12c656"