diff --git a/agent/util_test.go b/agent/util_test.go
index 65df2cadc..b091d853e 100644
--- a/agent/util_test.go
+++ b/agent/util_test.go
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ func TestSetFilePermissions(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	tempFile := testutil.TempFile(t, "consul")
 	path := tempFile.Name()
-	defer os.Remove(path)
 
 	// Bad UID fails
 	if err := setFilePermissions(path, "%", "", ""); err == nil {
diff --git a/command/config/write/config_write_test.go b/command/config/write/config_write_test.go
index e111f323c..a5b9120b2 100644
--- a/command/config/write/config_write_test.go
+++ b/command/config/write/config_write_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package write
 
 import (
 	"io"
-	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -32,7 +31,6 @@ func TestConfigWrite(t *testing.T) {
 		c := New(ui)
 
 		f := testutil.TempFile(t, "config-write-svc-web.hcl")
-		defer os.Remove(f.Name())
 		_, err := f.WriteString(`
       Kind = "service-defaults"
       Name = "web"
diff --git a/command/intention/create/create_test.go b/command/intention/create/create_test.go
index b419f2031..1b9c690e2 100644
--- a/command/intention/create/create_test.go
+++ b/command/intention/create/create_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package create
 
 import (
-	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -146,7 +145,6 @@ func TestCommand_File(t *testing.T) {
 
 	contents := `{ "SourceName": "foo", "DestinationName": "bar", "Action": "allow" }`
 	f := testutil.TempFile(t, "intention-create-command-file")
-	defer os.Remove(f.Name())
 	if _, err := f.WriteString(contents); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %#v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/command/kv/put/kv_put_test.go b/command/kv/put/kv_put_test.go
index eec776b4e..a5289681c 100644
--- a/command/kv/put/kv_put_test.go
+++ b/command/kv/put/kv_put_test.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"io"
-	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -176,7 +175,6 @@ func TestKVPutCommand_File(t *testing.T) {
 	c := New(ui)
 
 	f := testutil.TempFile(t, "kv-put-command-file")
-	defer os.Remove(f.Name())
 	if _, err := f.WriteString("bar"); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %#v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/command/services/deregister/deregister_test.go b/command/services/deregister/deregister_test.go
index a460fe292..b2a9c7a11 100644
--- a/command/services/deregister/deregister_test.go
+++ b/command/services/deregister/deregister_test.go
@@ -172,13 +172,11 @@ func testFile(t *testing.T, suffix string) *os.File {
 
 	newName := f.Name() + "." + suffix
 	if err := os.Rename(f.Name(), newName); err != nil {
-		os.Remove(f.Name())
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
 	f, err := os.Create(newName)
 	if err != nil {
-		os.Remove(newName)
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/command/validate/validate_test.go b/command/validate/validate_test.go
index a00a17358..c8cc3bf4d 100644
--- a/command/validate/validate_test.go
+++ b/command/validate/validate_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package validate
 
 import (
 	"io/ioutil"
-	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -22,7 +21,6 @@ func TestValidateCommand_noTabs(t *testing.T) {
 func TestValidateCommand_FailOnEmptyFile(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	tmpFile := testutil.TempFile(t, "consul")
-	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpFile.Name())
 
 	cmd := New(cli.NewMockUi())
 	args := []string{tmpFile.Name()}
diff --git a/sdk/testutil/io.go b/sdk/testutil/io.go
index 28f215b67..b3396023c 100644
--- a/sdk/testutil/io.go
+++ b/sdk/testutil/io.go
@@ -31,9 +31,10 @@ func init() {
 
 var noCleanup = strings.ToLower(os.Getenv("TEST_NOCLEANUP")) == "true"
 
-// TempDir creates a temporary directory within tmpdir
-// with the name 'testname-name'. If the directory cannot
-// be created t.Fatal is called.
+// TempDir creates a temporary directory within tmpdir with the name 'testname-name'.
+// If the directory cannot be created t.Fatal is called.
+// The directory will be removed when the test ends. Set TEST_NOCLEANUP env var
+// to prevent the directory from being removed.
 func TempDir(t *testing.T, name string) string {
 	if t == nil {
 		panic("argument t must be non-nil")
@@ -54,22 +55,28 @@ func TempDir(t *testing.T, name string) string {
 	return d
 }
 
-// TempFile creates a temporary file within tmpdir
-// with the name 'testname-name'. If the file cannot
-// be created t.Fatal is called. If a temporary directory
-// has been created before consider storing the file
-// inside this directory to avoid double cleanup.
+// TempFile creates a temporary file within tmpdir with the name 'testname-name'.
+// If the file cannot be created t.Fatal is called. If a temporary directory
+// has been created before consider storing the file inside this directory to
+// avoid double cleanup.
+// The file will be removed when the test ends.  Set TEST_NOCLEANUP env var
+// to prevent the file from being removed.
 func TempFile(t *testing.T, name string) *os.File {
-	if t != nil && t.Name() != "" {
-		name = t.Name() + "-" + name
+	if t == nil {
+		panic("argument t must be non-nil")
 	}
+	name = t.Name() + "-" + name
 	name = strings.Replace(name, "/", "_", -1)
 	f, err := ioutil.TempFile(tmpdir, name)
 	if err != nil {
-		if t == nil {
-			panic(err)
-		}
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if noCleanup {
+			t.Logf("skipping cleanup because TEST_NOCLEANUP was enabled")
+			return
+		}
+		os.Remove(f.Name())
+	})
 	return f
 }