diff --git a/config/FindPackageMultipass.cmake b/config/FindPackageMultipass.cmake
index 128eee9..847c246 100644
--- a/config/FindPackageMultipass.cmake
+++ b/config/FindPackageMultipass.cmake
@@ -138,7 +138,10 @@ macro (MULTIPASS_SOURCE_RUNS includes libraries source runs language)
   math (EXPR _tmp "${MULTIPASS_TEST_COUNT} + 1") # Why can't I add to a cache variable?
   set (MULTIPASS_TEST_COUNT ${_tmp} CACHE INTERNAL "Unique test ID")
   set (testname MULTIPASS_TEST_${MULTIPASS_TEST_COUNT}_${runs})
-  set (testdir ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}${CMAKE_FILES_DIRECTORY}/CMakeTmp)
+  set (testdir ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/PETSC_test)
+  if (NOT EXISTS ${testdir})
+    file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${testdir})
+  endif ()
   set (CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES ${includes})
   set (CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES ${libraries})
   # if MPI is available, use it for the test
@@ -148,24 +151,38 @@ macro (MULTIPASS_SOURCE_RUNS includes libraries source runs language)
     set (REQUIRED_COMPILER ${CMAKE_${language}_COMPILER})
   endif ()
   if(${language} STREQUAL "C")
-    file(WRITE ${testdir}/src.c "${source}")
-    try_run(${testname} _compiles ${testdir} ${testdir}/src.c
-            CMAKE_FLAGS -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=${REQUIRED_COMPILER} -DINCLUDE_DIRECTORIES=${CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES}
-            LINK_LIBRARIES ${CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES})
-  elseif(${language} STREQUAL "CXX")
-    file(WRITE ${testdir}/src.cxx "${source}")
-    try_run(${testname} _compiles ${testdir} ${testdir}/src.cxx
-            CMAKE_FLAGS -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=${REQUIRED_COMPILER} -DINCLUDE_DIRECTORIES=${CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES}
-            LINK_LIBRARIES ${CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES})
-  endif()
-  # ${testname} is the exit code returned by try_run,
-  # so 0 is success and anything else is a failure.
-  if (${testname})
-    set (${runs} FALSE)
+    set (extension c)
   else ()
+    set (extension cxx)
+  endif ()
+  # Create simple test code
+  file(WRITE ${testdir}/src.${extension} "${source}")
+  # Create a CMakeLists.txt file for the test code
+  file(WRITE ${testdir}/CMakeLists.txt
+    "cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.5)\n"
+    "project(ctest ${language})\n"
+    "set(CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE ON)\n"
+    "set(CMAKE_${language}_COMPILER \"${REQUIRED_COMPILER}\")\n"
+    "set(CMAKE_${language}_FLAGS \"${CMAKE_${language}_FLAGS}\")\n"
+    "include_directories(${CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES})\n"
+    "add_executable(ctest src.${extension})\n"
+    "target_link_libraries(ctest ${CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES})\n")
+  # Attempt to compile the test code
+  try_compile(${testname} ${testdir} ${testdir} ctest
+    OUTPUT_VARIABLE _output)
+  # Write output compiling the test code
+  file(WRITE ${testdir}/src.out "${_output}")
+  # To ensure we do not use stuff from the previous attempts,
+  # we must remove the CMakeFiles directory.
+  file(REMOVE_RECURSE ${testdir}/CMakeFiles)
+  # Process test result
+  if (${testname})
     set (${runs} TRUE)
+  else ()
+    set (${runs} FALSE)
   endif ()
   unset (_compiles)
+  unset (_output)
 endmacro (MULTIPASS_SOURCE_RUNS)