diff --git a/package/CHANGELOG b/package/CHANGELOG
index 2f51f4c37e6..70b504d22f5 100644
--- a/package/CHANGELOG
+++ b/package/CHANGELOG
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ Fixes
     Universe (PR #2893)
   * ensure that unistd.h is included on macOS when compiling ENCORE's spe.c
     (Issue #2934)
+  * Fix tests for analysis.bat that could fail when run in parallel and that
+    would create a test artifact (Issue #2979, PR #2981)
 
 Enhancements
   * Refactored analysis.helanal into analysis.helix_analysis
diff --git a/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_bat.py b/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_bat.py
index 36ef684319b..9fb0e93b977 100644
--- a/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_bat.py
+++ b/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_bat.py
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ def bat(self, selected_residues):
         R.run()
         return R.bat
 
+    @pytest.fixture
+    def bat_npz(self, tmpdir, selected_residues):
+        filename = str(tmpdir / 'test_bat_IO.npy')
+        R = BAT(selected_residues)
+        R.run()
+        R.save(filename)
+        return filename
+
     def test_bat_root_selection(self, selected_residues):
         R = BAT(selected_residues)
         assert_equal(R._root.indices, [8, 2, 1],
@@ -79,11 +87,8 @@ def test_bat_reconstruction(self, selected_residues, bat):
             err_msg="error: Reconstructed Cartesian coordinates " + \
                     "don't match original")
 
-    def test_bat_IO(self, selected_residues, bat):
-        R = BAT(selected_residues)
-        R.run()
-        R.save('test_bat_IO.npy')
-        R2 = BAT(selected_residues, filename='test_bat_IO.npy')
+    def test_bat_IO(self, bat_npz, selected_residues, bat):
+        R2 = BAT(selected_residues, filename=bat_npz)
         test_bat = R2.bat
         assert_almost_equal(
             bat,
@@ -107,8 +112,8 @@ def test_bat_disconnected_atom_group(self):
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
             R = BAT(selected_residues)
 
-    def test_bat_incorrect_dims(self):
+    def test_bat_incorrect_dims(self, bat_npz):
         u = mda.Universe(PSF, DCD)
         selected_residues = u.select_atoms("resid 1-3")
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-            R = BAT(selected_residues, filename='test_bat_IO.npy')
+            R = BAT(selected_residues, filename=bat_npz)