diff --git a/tests/pressure-vessel/containers.py b/tests/pressure-vessel/containers.py
index 549366f692a14b25e65fe8d8f8e1086b6a2f945d..c215e84157c58c6050f46df05cae643da7a44b67 100755
--- a/tests/pressure-vessel/containers.py
+++ b/tests/pressure-vessel/containers.py
@@ -555,11 +555,17 @@ class TestContainers(BaseTest):
             argv.append('--no-generate-locales')
 
         with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix='test-', dir=var) as temp:
+            argv.extend(['--variable-dir', temp])
+
             if copy:
-                argv.extend(['--copy-runtime-into', temp])
+                argv.append('--copy-runtime')
+            else:
+                argv.append('--no-copy-runtime')
 
-                if not gc:
-                    argv.append('--no-gc-runtimes')
+            if gc:
+                argv.append('--gc-runtimes')
+            else:
+                argv.append('--no-gc-runtimes')
 
             if is_scout:
                 python = 'python3.5'