diff --git a/tests/basic_env.py b/tests/basic_env.py
index 9b05cb649..0c0b7ab70 100644
--- a/tests/basic_env.py
+++ b/tests/basic_env.py
@@ -23,9 +23,6 @@ logger = logging.getLogger("dvc")
 
 
 class TestDirFixture(object):
-    GCP_CREDS_FILE = os.path.abspath(
-        os.path.join("scripts", "ci", "gcp-creds.json")
-    )
     DATA_DIR = "data_dir"
     DATA_SUB_DIR = os.path.join(DATA_DIR, "data_sub_dir")
     DATA = os.path.join(DATA_DIR, "data")
diff --git a/tests/func/test_data_cloud.py b/tests/func/test_data_cloud.py
index 4bd90ab75..b031c244d 100644
--- a/tests/func/test_data_cloud.py
+++ b/tests/func/test_data_cloud.py
@@ -47,6 +47,15 @@ TEST_AWS_REPO_BUCKET = os.environ.get("DVC_TEST_AWS_REPO_BUCKET", "dvc-test")
 TEST_GCP_REPO_BUCKET = os.environ.get("DVC_TEST_GCP_REPO_BUCKET", "dvc-test")
 TEST_OSS_REPO_BUCKET = "dvc-test"
 
+TEST_GCP_CREDS_FILE = os.path.abspath(
+    os.environ.get(
+        "GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS",
+        os.path.join("scripts", "ci", "gcp-creds.json"),
+    )
+)
+# Ensure that absolute path is used
+os.environ["GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS"] = TEST_GCP_CREDS_FILE
+
 
 def _should_test_aws():
     dvc_test_aws = os.getenv("DVC_TEST_AWS")
@@ -65,31 +74,22 @@ def _should_test_gcp():
     if os.getenv("DVC_TEST_GCP") == "true":
         return True
 
-    if not os.path.exists(TestDvc.GCP_CREDS_FILE):
+    if not os.path.exists(TEST_GCP_CREDS_FILE):
         return False
 
-    # NOTE: we copy because GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS uses rel path.
-    #       This is only my guess and I don't know why won't we use absolute.
-    creds = os.getenv("GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS")
-    if creds and os.getenv("GCP_CREDS"):
-        if os.path.exists(creds):
-            os.unlink(creds)
-        shutil.copyfile(TestDvc.GCP_CREDS_FILE, creds)
-        try:
-            check_output(
-                [
-                    "gcloud",
-                    "auth",
-                    "activate-service-account",
-                    "--key-file",
-                    creds,
-                ]
-            )
-        except (CalledProcessError, OSError):
-            return False
-        return True
-
-    return False
+    try:
+        check_output(
+            [
+                "gcloud",
+                "auth",
+                "activate-service-account",
+                "--key-file",
+                TEST_GCP_CREDS_FILE,
+            ]
+        )
+    except (CalledProcessError, OSError):
+        return False
+    return True
 
 
 def _should_test_azure():
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ class TestRemoteGS(TestDataCloudBase):
         config[TEST_SECTION][Config.SECTION_REMOTE_URL] = repo
         config[TEST_SECTION][
             Config.SECTION_GCP_CREDENTIALPATH
-        ] = TestDvc.GCP_CREDS_FILE
+        ] = TEST_GCP_CREDS_FILE
         self.cloud = DataCloud(self.dvc, config)
 
         self.assertIsInstance(self.cloud._cloud, self._get_cloud_class())
@@ -668,7 +668,7 @@ class TestRemoteGSCLI(TestDataCloudCLIBase):
                 "modify",
                 TEST_REMOTE,
                 "credentialpath",
-                TestDvc.GCP_CREDS_FILE,
+                TEST_GCP_CREDS_FILE,
             ]
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/remotes_env.sample b/tests/remotes_env.sample
index 13e671052..840cf5323 100644
--- a/tests/remotes_env.sample
+++ b/tests/remotes_env.sample
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@
 # export DVC_TEST_AWS_REPO_BUCKET="...SET-ME..."
 
 # Uncomment and set a bucket name to test against Google Storage
-# export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS=".gcp-creds.json"
-# export GCP_CREDS="yes"
-# export DVC_TEST_GCP_REPO_BUCKET="...SET-ME..."
+# export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="scripts/ci/gcp-creds.json"
 
 # Uncomment to test against Microsoft Azure via Azurite
 # export AZURE_STORAGE_CONTAINER_NAME="dvc-test"