diff --git a/src/sage/repl/ipython_kernel/install.py b/src/sage/repl/ipython_kernel/install.py
index aa23c8405d..8a87de0591 100644
--- a/src/sage/repl/ipython_kernel/install.py
+++ b/src/sage/repl/ipython_kernel/install.py
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ class SageKernelSpec(object):
         EXAMPLES::
 
             sage: from sage.repl.ipython_kernel.install import SageKernelSpec
-            sage: spec = SageKernelSpec()
+            sage: spec = SageKernelSpec(prefix = tmp_dir())
             sage: spec.use_local_mathjax()
             sage: mathjax = os.path.join(spec.nbextensions_dir, 'mathjax')
             sage: os.path.isdir(mathjax)
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class SageKernelSpec(object):
         EXAMPLES::
 
             sage: from sage.repl.ipython_kernel.install import SageKernelSpec
-            sage: spec = SageKernelSpec()
+            sage: spec = SageKernelSpec(prefix = tmp_dir())
             sage: spec.use_local_jsmol()
             sage: jsmol = os.path.join(spec.nbextensions_dir, 'jsmol')
             sage: os.path.isdir(jsmol)
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ class SageKernelSpec(object):
         EXAMPLES::
 
             sage: from sage.repl.ipython_kernel.install import SageKernelSpec
-            sage: spec = SageKernelSpec()
+            sage: spec = SageKernelSpec(prefix = tmp_dir())
             sage: spec.use_local_threejs()
             sage: threejs = os.path.join(spec.nbextensions_dir, 'threejs')
             sage: os.path.isdir(threejs)