diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/clean.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/clean.py
index 4006b645f91..813db89f812 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/clean.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/clean.py
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@
 import argparse
 import os
 import shutil
+import collections
 
 import llnl.util.tty as tty
 import llnl.util.filesystem as fs
 
 import spack.caches
-import spack.cmd
+import spack.cmd.test
 import spack.cmd.common.arguments as arguments
 import spack.repo
 import spack.stage
@@ -89,7 +90,8 @@ def clean(parser, args):
 
     if args.test_stage:
         tty.msg("Removing files in test stage")
-        spack.cmd.test.test_remove(NamedTuple({'name': None}))
+        test_remove_args = collections.namedtuple('args', ['name'])(None)
+        spack.cmd.test.test_remove(test_remove_args)
 
     if args.python_cache:
         tty.msg('Removing python cache files')
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/test.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/test.py
index 6ec9f5d9b0a..9aa353033a6 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/test.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/test.py
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ def test_run(args):
     reporter.specs = specs_to_test
 
     # test_stage_dir
-    stage = _get_stage(test_name)
+    stage = get_stage(test_name)
     fs.mkdirp(stage)
 
     with reporter('test', stage):
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ def test_run(args):
 
 def test_list(args):
     """List tests that are running or have available results."""
-    stage_dir = _get_stage()
+    stage_dir = get_stage()
     tests = os.listdir(stage_dir)
 
     # Filter tests by filter argument
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ def match(t, f):
 def test_status(args):
     """Get the current status for a particular Spack test."""
     name = args.name
-    stage = _get_stage(name)
+    stage = get_stage(name)
 
     if os.path.exists(stage):
         # TODO: Make this handle capability tests too
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ def test_status(args):
 def test_results(args):
     """Get the results for a particular Spack test."""
     name = args.name
-    stage = _get_stage(name)
+    stage = get_stage(name)
 
     # TODO: Make this handle capability tests too
     # The results file may turn out to be a placeholder for future work
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ def test_remove(args):
 
     Removed tests can no longer be accessed for results or status, and will not
     appear in `spack test list` results."""
-    stage_dir = _get_stage(args.name)
+    stage_dir = get_stage(args.name)
     if args.name:
         shutil.rmtree(stage_dir)
     else:
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ def test(parser, args):
     globals()['test_%s' % args.test_command](args)
 
 
-def _get_stage(name=None):
+def get_stage(name=None):
     """
     Return the test stage for the named test or the overall test stage.
     """
@@ -265,5 +265,5 @@ def _get_results_file(name):
     """
     Return the results file for the named test.
     """
-    stage = _get_stage(name)
+    stage = get_stage(name)
     return os.path.join(stage, 'results.txt')
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/package.py b/lib/spack/spack/package.py
index 6d908817538..0e0463435e2 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/package.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/package.py
@@ -1618,10 +1618,7 @@ def do_test(self, name, remove_directory=False, dirty=False):
         # Clear test failures
         self.test_failures = []
 
-        self.test_stage = Prefix(os.path.join(
-            sup.canonicalize_path(
-                spack.config.get('config:test_stage', os.getcwd())),
-            name))
+        self.test_stage = Prefix(spack.cmd.test.get_stage(name))
         if not os.path.exists(self.test_stage):
             mkdirp(self.test_stage)
         self.test_log_file = os.path.join(self.test_stage, self.test_log_name)