diff --git a/tests/rtfobj/test_issue_185.py b/tests/rtfobj/test_issue_185.py
index cf8358e..a395a67 100644
--- a/tests/rtfobj/test_issue_185.py
+++ b/tests/rtfobj/test_issue_185.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import unittest, sys, os
 
-from .. import testdata_reader
+from tests.test_utils import testdata_reader
 from oletools import rtfobj
 
 class TestRtfObjIssue185(unittest.TestCase):
diff --git a/tests/test_utils/testdata_reader.py b/tests/test_utils/testdata_reader.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4445024
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_utils/testdata_reader.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import os
+from os.path import dirname, abspath, normpath, join
+from . import DATA_BASE_DIR
+
+
+def read(relative_path):
+    with open(join(DATA_BASE_DIR, relative_path), 'rb') as file_handle:
+        return file_handle.read()
diff --git a/tests/testdata_reader.py b/tests/testdata_reader.py
deleted file mode 100644
index e474141..0000000
--- a/tests/testdata_reader.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-import os
-
-def read(relative_path):
-    test_data = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)) + '/test-data/'
-    return open(test_data + relative_path, 'rb').read()
-