diff --git a/test-suite/tests/socket.test b/test-suite/tests/socket.test
index 8fccc36c5..cc512bf26 100644
--- a/test-suite/tests/socket.test
+++ b/test-suite/tests/socket.test
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ;;;; socket.test --- test socket functions     -*- scheme -*-
 ;;;;
-;;;; Copyright (C) 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+;;;; Copyright (C) 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 ;;;;
 ;;;; This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
 ;;;; modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
@@ -174,13 +174,28 @@
 ;;; AF_UNIX sockets and `make-socket-address'
 ;;;
 
+(define %tmpdir
+  ;; Honor `$TMPDIR', which tmpnam(3) doesn't do.
+  (or (getenv "TMPDIR") "/tmp"))
+
+(define %curdir
+  ;; Remember the current working directory.
+  (getcwd))
+
+;; Temporarily cd to %TMPDIR.  The goal is to work around path name
+;; limitations, which can lead to exceptions like:
+;;
+;;  (misc-error "scm_to_sockaddr"
+;;              "unix address path too long: ~A"
+;;              ("/tmp/nix-build-fb7bph4ifh0vr3ihigm702dzffdnapfj-guile-coverage-1.9.5.drv-0/guile-test-socket-1258553296-77619")
+;;              #f)
+(chdir %tmpdir)
+
 (define (temp-file-path)
-  ;; Return a temporary file path that honors `$TMPDIR', which `tmpnam'
-  ;; doesn't do.
-  (let ((dir (or (getenv "TMPDIR") "/tmp")))
-    (string-append dir "/guile-test-socket-"
-                   (number->string (current-time)) "-"
-                   (number->string (random 100000)))))
+  ;; Return a temporary file name, assuming the current directory is %TMPDIR.
+  (string-append "guile-test-socket-"
+                 (number->string (current-time)) "-"
+                 (number->string (random 100000))))
 
 
 (if (defined? 'AF_UNIX)
@@ -408,4 +423,7 @@
 	      (let ((status (cdr (waitpid server-pid))))
 		(eq? 0 (status:exit-val status)))))
 
-	#t)))
\ No newline at end of file
+	#t)))
+
+;; Switch back to the previous directory.
+(false-if-exception (chdir %curdir))