diff --git a/test/farm/001-farm.bats b/test/farm/001-farm.bats
index 1d960d9dc3..afddbd09ef 100644
--- a/test/farm/001-farm.bats
+++ b/test/farm/001-farm.bats
@@ -5,15 +5,10 @@
 
 load helpers.bash
 
-###############################################################################
-# BEGIN tests
-
-fname="test-farm"
-containerfile="test/farm/Containerfile"
 
 @test "farm - check farm has been created" {
     run_podman farm ls
-    assert "$output" =~ $fname
+    assert "$output" =~ $FARMNAME
     assert "$output" =~ "test-node"
 }
 
@@ -22,56 +17,79 @@ containerfile="test/farm/Containerfile"
     empty_farm="empty-farm"
     # create an empty farm
     run_podman farm create $empty_farm
-    run_podman farm --farm $empty_farm build -f $containerfile -t $iname .
+    run_podman farm --farm $empty_farm build -t $iname $PODMAN_TMPDIR
     assert "$output" =~ "Local builder ready"
+
     # get the system architecture
     run_podman info --format '{{.Host.Arch}}'
     ARCH=$output
     # inspect manifest list built and saved in local containers-storage
+    # FIXME: use --format?
     run_podman manifest inspect $iname
     assert "$output" =~ $ARCH
+
+    run_podman images -a
+
+    # FIXME-someday: why do we need the prune?
+    run_podman manifest rm $iname
+    run_podman image prune -f
 }
 
 @test "farm - build on farm node only with --cleanup" {
     iname="test-image-2"
-    run_podman farm build -f $containerfile --cleanup --local=false -t $iname .
-    assert "$output" =~ "Farm \"$fname\" ready"
+    run_podman farm build --cleanup --local=false -t $iname $PODMAN_TMPDIR
+    assert "$output" =~ "Farm \"$FARMNAME\" ready"
     # get the system architecture
     run_podman info --format '{{.Host.Arch}}'
     ARCH=$output
     # inspect manifest list built and saved in dir
-    manifest=$(cat $iname/manifest.json)
-    assert "$manifest" =~ $ARCH
+    # FIXME FIXME FIXME! #20505: do not write anything under cwd
+    ls -l $iname
+
+    # FIXME FIXME FIXME FIXME! NEVER WRITE INTO PWD!
+    manifestarch=$(jq -r '.manifests[].platform.architecture' <$iname/manifest.json)
+    assert "$manifestarch" = "$ARCH" "arch from $iname/manifest.json"
+
     # see if we can ssh into node to check the image was cleaned up
-    nodeimg=$(ssh $ROOTLESS_USER@localhost podman images --filter dangling=true --noheading 2>&1)
-    assert "$nodeimg" = ""
+    run ssh $ROOTLESS_USER@localhost podman images --filter dangling=true --noheading
+    assert "$output" = "" "podman images on remote host"
+
     # check that no image was built locally
     run_podman images --filter dangling=true --noheading
-    assert "$output" = ""
+    assert "$output" = "" "podman images on local host"
+
+    run_podman image prune -f
 }
 
 @test "farm - build on farm node and local" {
     iname="test-image-3"
-    run_podman farm build -f $containerfile -t $iname .
-    assert "$output" =~ "Farm \"$fname\" ready"
+    run_podman farm build -t $iname $PODMAN_TMPDIR
+    assert "$output" =~ "Farm \"$FARMNAME\" ready"
+
     # get the system architecture
     run_podman info --format '{{.Host.Arch}}'
     ARCH=$output
     # inspect manifest list built and saved in dir
     run_podman manifest inspect $iname
     assert "$output" =~ $ARCH
+
+    run_podman manifest rm $iname
+    run_podman image prune -f
 }
 
 # Test out podman-remote
 
 @test "farm - build on farm node only (podman-remote)" {
     iname="test-image-4"
-    run_podman --remote farm build -f $containerfile -t $iname .
-    assert "$output" =~ "Farm \"$fname\" ready"
+    run_podman --remote farm build -t $iname $PODMAN_TMPDIR
+    assert "$output" =~ "Farm \"$FARMNAME\" ready"
+
     # get the system architecture
     run_podman --remote info --format '{{.Host.Arch}}'
     ARCH=$output
     # inspect manifest list built and saved in dir
-    manifest=$(cat $iname/manifest.json)
-    assert "$manifest" =~ $ARCH
+    manifestarch=$(jq -r '.manifests[].platform.architecture' <$iname/manifest.json)
+    assert "$manifestarch" = "$ARCH" "arch from $iname/manifest.json"
+
+    run_podman image prune -f
 }
diff --git a/test/farm/Containerfile b/test/farm/Containerfile
deleted file mode 100644
index feb5d5cb53..0000000000
--- a/test/farm/Containerfile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-FROM alpine
-RUN arch | tee /arch.txt
-RUN date | tee /built.txt
diff --git a/test/farm/helpers.bash b/test/farm/helpers.bash
index a02dae7b86..6d99b023ea 100644
--- a/test/farm/helpers.bash
+++ b/test/farm/helpers.bash
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@ load ../system/helpers.bash
 
 function setup(){
     basic_setup
+
+    # Always create the same containerfile
+    cat >$PODMAN_TMPDIR/Containerfile <<EOF
+FROM $IMAGE
+RUN arch | tee /arch.txt
+RUN date | tee /built.txt
+EOF
 }
 
 function teardown(){
diff --git a/test/farm/setup_suite.bash b/test/farm/setup_suite.bash
index 06a6b8910b..69a16a92f0 100644
--- a/test/farm/setup_suite.bash
+++ b/test/farm/setup_suite.bash
@@ -1,14 +1,40 @@
 # -*- bash -*-
 
-load helpers.bash
+bats_require_minimum_version 1.8.0
+
+load helpers
 
 function setup_suite(){
+    if [[ -z "$ROOTLESS_USER" ]]; then
+        if ! is_rootless; then
+            die "Cannot run as root with no \$ROOTLESS_USER defined"
+        fi
+        export ROOTLESS_USER=$(id -un)
+    fi
+
+    sshdir=/home/$ROOTLESS_USER/.ssh
+    sshkey=$sshdir/id_rsa
+    if [[ ! -e $sshkey ]]; then
+        ssh-keygen -t rsa -N "" -f $sshkey
+        cat ${sshkey}.pub >> $sshdir/authorized_keys
+
+        # Confirm that ssh localhost works. Since this is probably
+        # the first time that we ssh, bypass the host key verification.
+        ssh -T -o 'BatchMode yes' -o 'StrictHostKeyChecking no' localhost true
+    fi
+
+    # Sigh..... "system connection add" fails if podman is not in $PATH.
+    # There does not seem to be any way to tell it to use an explicit path.
+    type -P podman || die "No 'podman' in \$PATH"
+
+    export FARMNAME="test-farm-$(random_string 5)"
+
     # only set up the podman farm before the first test
-    run_podman system connection add --identity /home/$ROOTLESS_USER/.ssh/id_rsa test-node $ROOTLESS_USER@localhost
-    run_podman farm create test-farm test-node
+    run_podman system connection add --identity $sshkey test-node $ROOTLESS_USER@localhost
+    run_podman farm create $FARMNAME test-node
 }
 
-function teardown(){
+function teardown_suite(){
     # clear out the farms after the last farm test
-    run podman farm rm --all
+    run_podman farm rm --all
 }