diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/nginx.go b/internal/ingress/controller/nginx.go
index 7d6dcc3fa6..20fad5afb8 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/nginx.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/nginx.go
@@ -643,8 +643,7 @@ func (n *NGINXController) testTemplate(cfg []byte) error {
 	if len(cfg) == 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid NGINX configuration (empty)")
 	}
-	tmpDir := os.TempDir() + "/nginx"
-	tmpfile, err := os.CreateTemp(tmpDir, tempNginxPattern)
+	tmpfile, err := os.CreateTemp(filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "nginx"), tempNginxPattern)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -1112,11 +1111,11 @@ func (n *NGINXController) createLuaConfig(cfg *ngx_config.Configuration) error {
 func cleanTempNginxCfg() error {
 	var files []string
 
-	err := filepath.Walk(os.TempDir(), func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+	err := filepath.Walk(filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "nginx"), func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if info.IsDir() && os.TempDir() != path {
+		if info.IsDir() && path != filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "nginx") {
 			return filepath.SkipDir
 		}
 
@@ -1135,7 +1134,7 @@ func cleanTempNginxCfg() error {
 	}
 
 	for _, file := range files {
-		err := os.Remove(file)
+		err = os.Remove(file)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/nginx_test.go b/internal/ingress/controller/nginx_test.go
index 7b00916c73..fc0a5b6d26 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/nginx_test.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/nginx_test.go
@@ -361,10 +361,11 @@ func TestCleanTempNginxCfg(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	tmpfile, err := os.CreateTemp("", tempNginxPattern)
+	tmpfile, err := os.CreateTemp(filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "nginx"), tempNginxPattern)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	expectedDeletedFile := tmpfile.Name()
 	defer tmpfile.Close()
 
 	dur, err := time.ParseDuration("-10m")
@@ -378,10 +379,11 @@ func TestCleanTempNginxCfg(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	tmpfile, err = os.CreateTemp("", tempNginxPattern)
+	tmpfile, err = os.CreateTemp(filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "nginx"), tempNginxPattern)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	expectedFile := tmpfile.Name()
 	defer tmpfile.Close()
 
 	err = cleanTempNginxCfg()
@@ -391,8 +393,8 @@ func TestCleanTempNginxCfg(t *testing.T) {
 
 	var files []string
 
-	err = filepath.Walk(os.TempDir(), func(path string, info os.FileInfo, _ error) error {
-		if info.IsDir() && os.TempDir() != path {
+	err = filepath.Walk(filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "nginx"), func(path string, info os.FileInfo, _ error) error {
+		if info.IsDir() && filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "nginx") != path {
 			return filepath.SkipDir
 		}
 
@@ -405,8 +407,18 @@ func TestCleanTempNginxCfg(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	if len(files) != 1 {
-		t.Errorf("expected one file but %d were found", len(files))
+	// some other files can be created by other tests
+	var found bool
+	for _, file := range files {
+		if file == expectedDeletedFile {
+			t.Errorf("file %s should be deleted", file)
+		}
+		if file == expectedFile {
+			found = true
+		}
+	}
+	if !found {
+		t.Errorf("file %s should not be deleted", expectedFile)
 	}
 }