diff --git a/tests/ts_simple_query_buffers_SUITE.erl b/tests/ts_simple_query_buffers_SUITE.erl
index a033762a..3af7b751 100644
--- a/tests/ts_simple_query_buffers_SUITE.erl
+++ b/tests/ts_simple_query_buffers_SUITE.erl
@@ -216,10 +216,7 @@ init_per_testcase(query_orderby_max_data_size_error, Cfg) ->
 init_per_testcase(query_orderby_ldb_io_error, Cfg) ->
     Node = hd(proplists:get_value(cluster, Cfg)),
     QBufDir = filename:join([rtdev:node_path(Node), "data/query_buffers"]),
-    Cmd = get_write_perm_cmd(take_away, QBufDir),
-    ct:log("running ~s", [Cmd]),
-    CmdOut = "" = os:cmd(Cmd),
-    ct:log("~s: '~s'", [Cmd, CmdOut]),
+    modify_dir_access(take_away, QBufDir),
     Cfg;
 
 init_per_testcase(_, Cfg) ->
@@ -238,10 +235,7 @@ end_per_testcase(query_orderby_max_data_size_error, Cfg) ->
 end_per_testcase(query_orderby_ldb_io_error, Cfg) ->
     Node = hd(proplists:get_value(cluster, Cfg)),
     QBufDir = filename:join([rtdev:node_path(Node), "data/query_buffers"]),
-    Cmd = get_write_perm_cmd(give_back, QBufDir),
-    ct:log("running ~s", [Cmd]),
-    CmdOut = "" = os:cmd(Cmd),
-    ct:log("~s: '~s'", [Cmd, CmdOut]),
+    modify_dir_access(give_back, QBufDir),
     ok;
 end_per_testcase(_, Cfg) ->
     Cfg.
@@ -392,12 +386,14 @@ col_no({[A|_], _}) ->
 col_no({[A|_], _, _}) ->
     A - $a + 1.
 
-fmt(F, A) ->
-    lists:flatten(io_lib:format(F, A)).
 
-get_write_perm_cmd(take_away, QBufDir) ->
-    ct:pal("take away perms on ~s\n", [QBufDir]),
-    fmt("sh -c \"mv '~s' '~s.boo' && touch '~s'\"", [QBufDir, QBufDir, QBufDir]);
-get_write_perm_cmd(give_back, QBufDir) ->
-    ct:pal("restore perms on ~s\n", [QBufDir]),
-    fmt("sh -c \"rm '~s' && mv '~s.boo' '~s'\"", [QBufDir, QBufDir, QBufDir]).
+modify_dir_access(take_away, QBufDir) ->
+    ct:pal("take away access to ~s\n", [QBufDir]),
+    file:rename(QBufDir, QBufDir++".boo"),
+    file:write_file(QBufDir, "nothing here");
+
+modify_dir_access(give_back, QBufDir) ->
+    ct:pal("restore access to ~s\n", [QBufDir]),
+    file:delete(QBufDir),
+    file:rename(QBufDir++".boo", QBufDir).
+