diff --git a/qubes/tests/__init__.py b/qubes/tests/__init__.py
index 60ed9a7e..edaff02a 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/__init__.py
@@ -1260,9 +1260,9 @@ class SystemTestCase(QubesTestCase):
             file.write(content)
         self.addCleanup(os.unlink, filename)
 
-    def create_remote_file(self, vm, filename, content):
+    def create_remote_file(self, vm, filename, content, mode=0o755):
         self.loop.run_until_complete(vm.run_for_stdio(
-            'cat > {}'.format(shlex.quote(filename)),
+            'cat > {0}; chmod {1:o} {0}'.format(shlex.quote(filename), mode),
             user='root', input=content.encode('utf-8')))
 
     @asyncio.coroutine
diff --git a/qubes/tests/integ/vm_qrexec_gui.py b/qubes/tests/integ/vm_qrexec_gui.py
index ce886170..0e6b369c 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/integ/vm_qrexec_gui.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/integ/vm_qrexec_gui.py
@@ -239,10 +239,9 @@ class TC_00_AppVMMixin(object):
         self.loop.run_until_complete(asyncio.wait([
             self.wait_for_session(self.testvm1),
             self.wait_for_session(self.testvm2)]))
-        self.loop.run_until_complete(self.testvm2.run_for_stdio(
-            'cat > /etc/qubes-rpc/test.EOF',
-            user='root',
-            input=b'/bin/cat'))
+        self.create_remote_file(self.testvm2,
+                                '/etc/qubes-rpc/test.EOF',
+                                '#!/bin/sh\n/bin/cat\n')
 
         with self.qrexec_policy('test.EOF', self.testvm1, self.testvm2):
             try: