diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/vanquish-rare-container-bootstrap-failure.yml b/changelogs/fragments/vanquish-rare-container-bootstrap-failure.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2a207fdefde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/vanquish-rare-container-bootstrap-failure.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - ansible-test - Avoid using ``/tmp`` to resolve occasional failures starting tests with the ``--docker`` option.
diff --git a/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/setup/docker.sh b/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/setup/docker.sh
index c65e8ac5fc2..ea60e1a6f35 100644
--- a/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/setup/docker.sh
+++ b/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/setup/docker.sh
@@ -6,9 +6,8 @@ set -eu
 rm -f /usr/sbin/policy-rc.d
 
 # Improve prompts on remote host for interactive use.
-# shellcheck disable=SC1117
-cat << EOF > ~/.bashrc
-alias ls='ls --color=auto'
-export PS1='\[\e]0;\u@\h: \w\a\]\[\033[01;32m\]\u@\h\[\033[00m\]:\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\$ '
-cd ~/ansible/
-EOF
+# `cat << EOF > ~/.bashrc` flakes sometimes since /tmp may not be ready yet in
+# the container. So don't do that
+echo "alias ls='ls --color=auto'" > ~/.bashrc
+echo "export PS1='\[\e]0;\u@\h: \w\a\]\[\033[01;32m\]\u@\h\[\033[00m\]:\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\$ '" >> ~/.bashrc
+echo "cd ~/ansible/" >> ~/.bashrc