diff --git a/sbin/restore/dirs.c b/sbin/restore/dirs.c
index 53743a8424c8..c61737af08a0 100644
--- a/sbin/restore/dirs.c
+++ b/sbin/restore/dirs.c
@@ -146,9 +146,12 @@ extractdirs(genmode)
 	struct inotab *itp;
 	struct direct nulldir;
 	int fd;
+	const char *tmpdir;
 
 	vprintf(stdout, "Extract directories from tape\n");
-	(void) sprintf(dirfile, "%srstdir%d", _PATH_TMP, dumpdate);
+	if ((tmpdir = getenv("TMPDIR")) == NULL || tmpdir[0] == '\0')
+		tmpdir = _PATH_TMP;
+	(void) sprintf(dirfile, "%s/rstdir%d", tmpdir, dumpdate);
 	if (command != 'r' && command != 'R') {
 		(void *) strcat(dirfile, "-XXXXXX");
 		fd = mkstemp(dirfile);
@@ -161,7 +164,7 @@ extractdirs(genmode)
 		done(1);
 	}
 	if (genmode != 0) {
-		(void) sprintf(modefile, "%srstmode%d", _PATH_TMP, dumpdate);
+		(void) sprintf(modefile, "%s/rstmode%d", tmpdir, dumpdate);
 		if (command != 'r' && command != 'R') {
 			(void *) strcat(modefile, "-XXXXXX");
 			fd = mkstemp(modefile);
@@ -593,10 +596,13 @@ setdirmodes(flags)
 	struct modeinfo node;
 	struct entry *ep;
 	char *cp;
+	const char *tmpdir;
 
 	vprintf(stdout, "Set directory mode, owner, and times.\n");
+	if ((tmpdir = getenv("TMPDIR")) == NULL || tmpdir[0] == '\0')
+		tmpdir = _PATH_TMP;
 	if (command == 'r' || command == 'R')
-		(void) sprintf(modefile, "%srstmode%d", _PATH_TMP, dumpdate);
+		(void) sprintf(modefile, "%s/rstmode%d", tmpdir, dumpdate);
 	if (modefile[0] == '#') {
 		panic("modefile not defined\n");
 		fprintf(stderr, "directory mode, owner, and times not set\n");