diff --git a/test/unit/extract/xbrl_test.py b/test/unit/extract/xbrl_test.py
index 0aeb2a920d..61ff1bdb07 100644
--- a/test/unit/extract/xbrl_test.py
+++ b/test/unit/extract/xbrl_test.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ def test_ferc_xbrl_datastore_get_filings(mocker):
         ),
     ],
 )
-def test_xbrl2sqlite(settings, forms, mocker):
+def test_xbrl2sqlite(settings, forms, mocker, tmp_path):
     convert_form_mock = mocker.MagicMock()
     mocker.patch("pudl.extract.xbrl.convert_form", new=convert_form_mock)
 
@@ -99,6 +99,14 @@ def test_xbrl2sqlite(settings, forms, mocker):
     mock_datastore = mocker.MagicMock()
     mocker.patch("pudl.extract.xbrl.FercXbrlDatastore", return_value=mock_datastore)
 
+    # always use tmp path here so that we don't clobber the live DB when --live-dbs is passed
+    mock_pudl_paths = mocker.MagicMock(
+        spec=PudlPaths(),
+        sqlite_db_path=lambda form_name: tmp_path / f"{form_name}.sqlite",
+        output_dir=PudlPaths().output_dir,
+    )
+    mocker.patch("pudl.extract.xbrl.PudlPaths", return_value=mock_pudl_paths)
+
     # Construct xbrl2sqlite op context
     context = build_op_context(
         resources={
@@ -122,7 +130,7 @@ def test_xbrl2sqlite(settings, forms, mocker):
             form,
             mock_datastore,
             output_path=PudlPaths().output_dir,
-            sql_path=PudlPaths().output_dir / f"ferc{form.value}_xbrl.sqlite",
+            sql_path=tmp_path / f"ferc{form.value}_xbrl.sqlite",
             batch_size=20,
             workers=10,
         )
@@ -163,7 +171,7 @@ def test_xbrl2sqlite_db_exists_no_clobber(mocker):
         xbrl2sqlite(context)
 
 
-def test_xbrl2sqlite_db_exists_yes_clobber(mocker):
+def test_xbrl2sqlite_db_exists_yes_clobber(mocker, tmp_path):
     convert_form_mock = mocker.MagicMock()
     mocker.patch("pudl.extract.xbrl.convert_form", new=convert_form_mock)
 
@@ -171,7 +179,8 @@ def test_xbrl2sqlite_db_exists_yes_clobber(mocker):
     mock_datastore = mocker.MagicMock()
     mocker.patch("pudl.extract.xbrl.FercXbrlDatastore", return_value=mock_datastore)
 
-    ferc1_sqlite_path = PudlPaths().output_dir / "ferc1_xbrl.sqlite"
+    # always use tmp path here so that we don't clobber the live DB when --live-dbs is passed
+    ferc1_sqlite_path = tmp_path / "ferc1_xbrl.sqlite"
     ferc1_sqlite_path.touch()
 
     # mock the db path so we can assert it gets clobbered