diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index da54155fc..d647af9ee 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ jobs:
       - run: *npm_install_and_link
       - run:
           name: Run system tests.
-          command: npm run system-test
+          command: mkdir $HOME/.config && npm run system-test
           environment:
             GCLOUD_PROJECT: long-door-651
             GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS: .circleci/key.json
diff --git a/synth.py b/synth.py
index b4920132f..e4fed06bd 100644
--- a/synth.py
+++ b/synth.py
@@ -20,3 +20,10 @@
 common_templates = gcp.CommonTemplates()
 templates = common_templates.node_library(source_location='build')
 s.copy(templates)
+
+# Create .config directory under $HOME to get around permissions issues
+# with resumable upload.
+s.replace(
+    ".circleci/config.yml",
+    "command: npm run system-test",
+    "command: mkdir $HOME/.config && npm run system-test")
diff --git a/system-test/storage.ts b/system-test/storage.ts
index 11162244a..4a456f9f7 100644
--- a/system-test/storage.ts
+++ b/system-test/storage.ts
@@ -1136,7 +1136,10 @@ describe('storage', () => {
 
         it('file#createResumableUpload', doubleTest((options, done) => {
              file.createResumableUpload(options, (err, uri) => {
-               assert.ifError(err);
+               if (err) {
+                 done(err);
+                 return;
+               }
 
                file.createWriteStream({uri})
                    .on('error', done)