diff --git a/test/Tests/MediaBag.hs b/test/Tests/MediaBag.hs
index fbc9eb153..8c7be1fe3 100644
--- a/test/Tests/MediaBag.hs
+++ b/test/Tests/MediaBag.hs
@@ -7,42 +7,50 @@ import Test.Tasty.HUnit
 import Text.Pandoc.Class.IO (extractMedia)
 import Text.Pandoc.Class (fillMediaBag, runIOorExplode)
 import System.IO.Temp (withTempDirectory)
-import Text.Pandoc.Shared (inDirectory)
 import System.FilePath
 import Text.Pandoc.Builder as B
-import System.Directory (doesFileExist, copyFile)
+import qualified Data.Text as T
+import System.Directory (doesFileExist, makeAbsolute)
 
 tests :: [TestTree]
 tests = [
   testCase "test fillMediaBag & extractMedia" $
-      withTempDirectory "." "extractMediaTest" $ \tmpdir -> inDirectory tmpdir $ do
-        copyFile "../../test/lalune.jpg" "moon.jpg"
+      withTempDirectory "." "extractMediaTest" $ \tmpdir -> do
+        -- Use absolute paths so the test does not need to change
+        -- the process-wide current directory (which is not thread-safe
+        -- and breaks other tests running in parallel).
+        absTmpdir <- makeAbsolute tmpdir
+        absLalune <- makeAbsolute "lalune.jpg"
         let d = B.doc $
-                  B.para (B.image "../../test/lalune.jpg" "" mempty) <>
-                  B.para (B.image "moon.jpg" "" mempty) <>
+                  -- simple relative path -> extracted with original name
+                  B.para (B.image "lalune.jpg" "" mempty) <>
+                  -- absolute path -> extracted with hashed name
+                  B.para (B.image (T.pack absLalune) "" mempty) <>
                   B.para (B.image "data:image/png;base64,cHJpbnQgImhlbGxvIgo=;.lua+%2f%2e%2e%2f%2e%2e%2fa%2elua" "" mempty) <>
                   B.para (B.image "data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" "" mempty)
+        let fooDir = absTmpdir </> "foo"
         runIOorExplode $ do
           fillMediaBag d
-          extractMedia "foo" d
-        exists1 <- doesFileExist ("foo" </> "moon.jpg")
+          extractMedia fooDir d
+        exists1 <- doesFileExist (fooDir </> "lalune.jpg")
         assertBool "file in directory is not extracted with original name" exists1
-        exists2 <- doesFileExist ("foo" </> "f9d88c3dbe18f6a7f5670e994a947d51216cdf0e.jpg")
-        assertBool "file above directory is not extracted with hashed name" exists2
-        exists3 <- doesFileExist ("foo" </> "2a0eaa89f43fada3e6c577beea4f2f8f53ab6a1d.png")
-        exists4 <- doesFileExist "a.lua"
+        exists2 <- doesFileExist (fooDir </> "f9d88c3dbe18f6a7f5670e994a947d51216cdf0e.jpg")
+        assertBool "file with absolute path is not extracted with hashed name" exists2
+        exists3 <- doesFileExist (fooDir </> "2a0eaa89f43fada3e6c577beea4f2f8f53ab6a1d.png")
+        exists4 <- doesFileExist (absTmpdir </> "a.lua")
         assertBool "data uri with malicious payload gets written outside of destination dir"
           (exists3 && not exists4)
-        exists5 <- doesFileExist ("foo" </> "d5fceb6532643d0d84ffe09c40c481ecdf59e15a.gif")
+        exists5 <- doesFileExist (fooDir </> "d5fceb6532643d0d84ffe09c40c481ecdf59e15a.gif")
         assertBool "data uri with gif is not properly decoded" exists5
         -- double-encoded version:
         let e = B.doc $
                   B.para (B.image "data:image/png;base64,cHJpbnQgInB3bmVkIgo=;.lua+%252f%252e%252e%252f%252e%252e%252fb%252elua" "" mempty)
+        let barDir = absTmpdir </> "bar"
         runIOorExplode $ do
           fillMediaBag e
-          extractMedia "bar" e
-        exists6 <- doesFileExist ("bar" </> "772ceca21a2751863ec46cb23db0e7fc35b9cff8.png")
-        exists7 <- doesFileExist "b.lua"
+          extractMedia barDir e
+        exists6 <- doesFileExist (barDir </> "772ceca21a2751863ec46cb23db0e7fc35b9cff8.png")
+        exists7 <- doesFileExist (absTmpdir </> "b.lua")
         assertBool "data uri with double-encoded malicious payload gets written outside of destination dir"
           (exists6 && not exists7)
   ]