diff --git a/tools/test_idf_py/test_hints.py b/tools/test_idf_py/test_hints.py
index 33e0ded6f2..d1164ff0a1 100755
--- a/tools/test_idf_py/test_hints.py
+++ b/tools/test_idf_py/test_hints.py
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@ from typing import List
 
 import yaml
 
+try:
+    EXT_IDF_PATH = os.environ['IDF_PATH']  # type: str
+except KeyError:
+    print(('This test needs to run within ESP-IDF environmnet. '
+           'Please run export script first.'), file=sys.stderr)
+    exit(1)
+
 CWD = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 ERR_OUT_YML = os.path.join(CWD, 'error_output.yml')
 
@@ -23,21 +30,32 @@ except ImportError:
 
 
 class TestHintsMassages(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self) -> None:
+        self.tmpdir = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
+
     def test_output(self) -> None:
         with open(ERR_OUT_YML) as f:
             error_output = yaml.safe_load(f)
+
+        error_filename = os.path.join(self.tmpdir.name, 'hint_input')
         for error, hint in error_output.items():
-            with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode='w') as f:
+            with open(error_filename, 'w') as f:
                 f.write(error)
-                f.flush()
-                for generated_hint in generate_hints(f.name):
-                    self.assertEqual(generated_hint, hint)
+            for generated_hint in generate_hints(f.name):
+                self.assertEqual(generated_hint, hint)
+
+    def tearDown(self) -> None:
+        self.tmpdir.cleanup()
 
 
 class TestHintModuleComponentRequirements(unittest.TestCase):
-    def run_cmd(self, cmd: List[str]) -> str:
-        # Simple helper to run command and return it's stdout.
-        proc = run(cmd, capture_output=True, cwd=str(self.projectdir), text=True)
+    def run_idf(self, args: List[str]) -> str:
+        # Simple helper to run idf command and return it's stdout.
+        cmd = [
+            sys.executable,
+            os.path.join(os.environ['IDF_PATH'], 'tools', 'idf.py')
+        ]
+        proc = run(cmd + args, capture_output=True, cwd=str(self.projectdir), text=True)
         return proc.stdout + proc.stderr
 
     def setUp(self) -> None:
@@ -69,39 +87,39 @@ class TestHintModuleComponentRequirements(unittest.TestCase):
         # The main component uses component1.h, but this header is not in component1 public
         # interface. Hints should suggest that component1.h should be added into INCLUDE_DIRS
         # of component1.
-        output = self.run_cmd(['idf.py', 'app'])
+        output = self.run_idf(['app'])
         self.assertIn('Missing "component1.h" file name found in the following component(s): component1(', output)
 
         # Based on previous hint the component1.h is added to INCLUDE_DIRS, but main still doesn't
         # have dependency on compoment1. Hints should suggest to add component1 into main component
         # PRIV_REQUIRES, because foo.h is not in main public interface.
-        self.run_cmd(['idf.py', 'fullclean'])
+        self.run_idf(['fullclean'])
         component1cmake = self.projectdir / 'components' / 'component1' / 'CMakeLists.txt'
         component1cmake.write_text('idf_component_register(INCLUDE_DIRS ".")')
-        output = self.run_cmd(['idf.py', 'app'])
+        output = self.run_idf(['app'])
         self.assertIn('To fix this, add component1 to PRIV_REQUIRES list of idf_component_register call', output)
 
         # Add foo.h into main public interface. Now the hint should suggest to use
         # REQUIRES instead of PRIV_REQUIRES.
-        self.run_cmd(['idf.py', 'fullclean'])
+        self.run_idf(['fullclean'])
         maincmake = self.projectdir / 'main' / 'CMakeLists.txt'
         maincmake.write_text(('idf_component_register(SRCS "foo.c" '
                               'REQUIRES esp_timer '
                               'INCLUDE_DIRS ".")'))
-        output = self.run_cmd(['idf.py', 'app'])
+        output = self.run_idf(['app'])
         self.assertIn('To fix this, add component1 to REQUIRES list of idf_component_register call', output)
 
         # Add component1 to REQUIRES as suggested by previous hint, but also
         # add esp_psram as private req for component1 and add esp_psram.h
         # to component1.h. New the hint should report that esp_psram should
         # be moved from PRIV_REQUIRES to REQUIRES for component1.
-        self.run_cmd(['idf.py', 'fullclean'])
+        self.run_idf(['fullclean'])
         maincmake.write_text(('idf_component_register(SRCS "foo.c" '
                               'REQUIRES esp_timer component1 '
                               'INCLUDE_DIRS ".")'))
         (self.projectdir / 'components' / 'component1' / 'component1.h').write_text('#include "esp_psram.h"')
         component1cmake.write_text('idf_component_register(INCLUDE_DIRS "." PRIV_REQUIRES esp_psram)')
-        output = self.run_cmd(['idf.py', 'app'])
+        output = self.run_idf(['app'])
         self.assertIn('To fix this, move esp_psram from PRIV_REQUIRES into REQUIRES', output)
 
     def tearDown(self) -> None: