diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 363c5cf66f..d05a0c1a85 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -37,9 +37,6 @@ srpm: clean
 
 check-local: all tests
 
-check-access: all
-	@($(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) -C tests check-access)
-
 dist-hook: gen-AUTHORS
 
 .PHONY: gen-AUTHORS
diff --git a/scripts/check-file-access.py b/scripts/check-file-access.py
index aa120cafac..2636eb4f96 100755
--- a/scripts/check-file-access.py
+++ b/scripts/check-file-access.py
@@ -21,22 +21,36 @@
 #
 #
 
+import os
 import re
 import sys
+import tempfile
 
-if len(sys.argv) != 3:
-    print("syntax: %s ACCESS-FILE PERMITTED-ACCESS-FILE")
-    sys.exit(1)
+abs_builddir = os.environ.get('abs_builddir', '')
+abs_srcdir = os.environ.get('abs_srcdir', '')
 
-access_file = sys.argv[1]
-permitted_file = sys.argv[2]
+access_fd, access_file = tempfile.mkstemp(dir=abs_builddir,
+                                          prefix='file-access-',
+                                          suffix='.txt')
+permitted_file = os.path.join(abs_srcdir, 'permitted_file_access.txt')
+
+os.environ['VIR_TEST_FILE_ACCESS_OUTPUT'] = access_file
+
+test = ' '.join(sys.argv[1:])
+
+ret = os.system(test)
+
+if ret != 0 or os.read(access_fd, 10) == b'':
+    os.close(access_fd)
+    os.remove(access_file)
+    sys.exit(ret)
 
 known_actions = ["open", "fopen", "access", "stat", "lstat", "connect"]
 
 files = []
 permitted = []
 
-with open(access_file, "r") as fh:
+with os.fdopen(access_fd, "r") as fh:
     for line in fh:
         line = line.rstrip("\n")
 
@@ -120,6 +134,8 @@ for file in files:
             print(": %s" % file["testname"], end="")
         print("")
 
+os.remove(access_file)
+
 if err:
     sys.exit(1)
 sys.exit(0)
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index 24ae515a39..04c37ccda2 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -16,17 +16,6 @@
 ## License along with this library.  If not, see
 ## <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-if WITH_LINUX
-check-access: file-access-clean
-	VIR_TEST_FILE_ACCESS=1 $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) check
-	$(RUNUTF8) $(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/scripts/check-file-access.py \
-		$(abs_builddir)/test_file_access.txt \
-		$(abs_srcdir)/permitted_file_access.txt | sort -u
-
-file-access-clean:
-	> test_file_access.txt
-endif WITH_LINUX
-
 VALGRIND = valgrind --quiet --leak-check=full --trace-children=yes \
 	--trace-children-skip="*/tools/virsh","*/tests/commandhelper","/usr/bin/*" \
 	--suppressions=$(abs_srcdir)/.valgrind.supp
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index 03ec061ac8..3bbdddc1f7 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -678,3 +678,12 @@ foreach name : test_scripts
   script = find_program(name)
   test(name, script, env: tests_env)
 endforeach
+
+add_test_setup(
+  'access',
+  env: [
+    'VIR_TEST_FILE_ACCESS=1',
+    runutf8,
+  ],
+  exe_wrapper: [ python3_prog, check_file_access_prog.path() ],
+)
diff --git a/tests/virtestmock.c b/tests/virtestmock.c
index e5dccae2a8..776493f0c5 100644
--- a/tests/virtestmock.c
+++ b/tests/virtestmock.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ printFile(const char *file,
             output = VIR_FILE_ACCESS_DEFAULT;
     }
 
-    if (!(fp = real_fopen(output, "a"))) {
+    if (!(fp = real_fopen(output, "w"))) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Unable to open %s: %s\n", output, g_strerror(errno));
         abort();
     }