diff --git a/tests/core/conftest.py b/tests/core/conftest.py
index 2a97b71df..baef77e75 100644
--- a/tests/core/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/core/conftest.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def pytest_sessionstart():
     ln_setup._TESTING = True
     pgurl = setup_local_test_postgres()
     ln.setup.init(
-        storage="./default_storage",
+        storage="./default_storage_core",
         schema="bionty",
         name="lamindb-unit-tests-core",
         db=pgurl,
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def pytest_sessionstart():
 
 def pytest_sessionfinish(session: pytest.Session):
     logger.set_verbosity(1)
-    shutil.rmtree("./default_storage")
+    shutil.rmtree("./default_storage_core")
     # handle below better in the future
     if ln.UPath("s3://lamindb-test/core/.lamindb").exists():
         ln.UPath("s3://lamindb-test/core/.lamindb").rmdir()
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ def pytest_sessionfinish(session: pytest.Session):
     scope="module",
     params=[
         # tuple of is_in_registered_storage, path, suffix, hash of test_dir
-        (True, "./default_storage/", ".csv", "iGtHiFEBV3r1_TFovdQCgw"),
-        (True, "./default_storage/", "", "iGtHiFEBV3r1_TFovdQCgw"),
+        (True, "./default_storage_core/", ".csv", "iGtHiFEBV3r1_TFovdQCgw"),
+        (True, "./default_storage_core/", "", "iGtHiFEBV3r1_TFovdQCgw"),
         (True, "./registered_storage/", ".csv", "iGtHiFEBV3r1_TFovdQCgw"),
         (True, "./registered_storage/", "", "iGtHiFEBV3r1_TFovdQCgw"),
         (False, "./nonregistered_storage/", ".csv", "iGtHiFEBV3r1_TFovdQCgw"),
diff --git a/tests/core/test_cache.py b/tests/core/test_cache.py
index bd47b0712..f8a217ecc 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_cache.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_cache.py
@@ -14,12 +14,12 @@ def switch_storage():
     cloud_storage = "s3://lamindb-ci/lamindb-unit-tests-cloud"
     set_managed_storage(cloud_storage)
     yield cloud_storage
-    set_managed_storage("./default_storage")
+    set_managed_storage("./default_storage_core")
 
 
 def test_local_cache():
     # check that we have local storage
-    local_storage = Path("./default_storage").resolve().as_posix()
+    local_storage = Path("./default_storage_core").resolve().as_posix()
     assert ln.setup.settings.storage.root_as_str == local_storage
 
     test_file = ln.core.datasets.anndata_file_pbmc68k_test()
diff --git a/tests/core/test_label_manager.py b/tests/core/test_label_manager.py
index cd05d27d7..55ac4d575 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_label_manager.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_label_manager.py
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def get_test_artifacts():
-    with open("./default_storage/test-inherit1", "w") as f:
+    with open("./default_storage_core/test-inherit1", "w") as f:
         f.write("artifact1")
-    with open("./default_storage/test-inherit2", "w") as f:
+    with open("./default_storage_core/test-inherit2", "w") as f:
         f.write("artifact2")
-    artifact1 = ln.Artifact("./default_storage/test-inherit1")
+    artifact1 = ln.Artifact("./default_storage_core/test-inherit1")
     artifact1.save()
-    artifact2 = ln.Artifact("./default_storage/test-inherit2")
+    artifact2 = ln.Artifact("./default_storage_core/test-inherit2")
     artifact2.save()
     yield artifact1, artifact2
     artifact1.delete(permanent=True, storage=True)
diff --git a/tests/core/test_settings.py b/tests/core/test_settings.py
index fa647992d..c819f95ab 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_settings.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_settings.py
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@
 
 
 def test_settings_switch_storage():
-    assert ln.settings.storage.root.resolve() == Path("./default_storage").resolve()
+    assert (
+        ln.settings.storage.root.resolve() == Path("./default_storage_core").resolve()
+    )
     new_storage_location = "s3://lamindb-ci/test-settings-switch-storage"
     ln.settings.storage = new_storage_location
     assert ln.setup.settings.storage.type_is_cloud
@@ -16,4 +18,4 @@ def test_settings_switch_storage():
     assert not ln.setup.settings.storage.root.fs.cache_regions
     assert ln.Storage.filter(root=new_storage_location).one_or_none() is not None
     # switch back to default storage
-    ln.settings.storage = "./default_storage"
+    ln.settings.storage = "./default_storage_core"
diff --git a/tests/storage/conftest.py b/tests/storage/conftest.py
index 23b968d05..dee927d69 100644
--- a/tests/storage/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/storage/conftest.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ def pytest_sessionstart():
     ln_setup._TESTING = True
     pgurl = setup_local_test_postgres()
     ln.setup.init(
-        storage="./default_storage",
+        storage="./default_storage_storage",
         name="lamindb-unit-tests-storage",
         db=pgurl,
     )
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def pytest_sessionstart():
 
 def pytest_sessionfinish(session: pytest.Session):
     logger.set_verbosity(1)
-    shutil.rmtree("./default_storage")
+    shutil.rmtree("./default_storage_storage")
     # handle below better in the future
     if ln.UPath("s3://lamindb-test/storage/.lamindb").exists():
         ln.UPath("s3://lamindb-test/storage/.lamindb").rmdir()