diff --git a/src/sage/lfunctions/sympow.py b/src/sage/lfunctions/sympow.py
index 92cb01fd73..b123e6accc 100644
--- a/src/sage/lfunctions/sympow.py
+++ b/src/sage/lfunctions/sympow.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ from __future__ import print_function, absolute_import
 
 import os
 
+from sage.env import DOT_SAGE
 from sage.structure.sage_object import SageObject
 from sage.misc.all import pager
 from sage.misc.verbose import verbose
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ class Sympow(SageObject):
         """
         Used to call sympow with given args
         """
-        cmd = 'sympow %s' % args
+        cmd = 'env SYMPOW_CACHEDIR="%s/sympow///" sympow %s' % (DOT_SAGE, args)
         with os.popen(cmd) as f:
             v = f.read().strip()
         verbose(v, level=2)