diff --git a/tests/gem5/cpu_tests/test.py b/tests/gem5/cpu_tests/test.py
index f34b23d..58925de 100644
--- a/tests/gem5/cpu_tests/test.py
+++ b/tests/gem5/cpu_tests/test.py
@@ -42,23 +42,26 @@
 }
 
 
+base_path = joinpath(absdirpath(__file__), 'benchmarks', 'bin')
+base_url = 'http://gem5.org/dist/current/gem5/cpu_tests/benchmarks/bin/'
 for isa in valid_isas:
-    bm_dir = joinpath('gem5/cpu_tests/benchmarks/bin/', isa)
+    path = joinpath(base_path, isa)
     for workload in workloads:
         ref_path = joinpath(getcwd(), 'ref', workload)
         verifiers = (
                 verifier.MatchStdout(ref_path),
         )
 
-        workload_binary = DownloadedProgram(bm_dir, workload)
-        workload_path = workload_binary.path
+        url = base_url + isa + '/' + workload
+        workload_binary = DownloadedProgram(url, path, workload)
+        binary = joinpath(workload_binary.path, workload)
 
         for cpu in valid_isas[isa]:
            gem5_verify_config(
                   name='cpu_test_{}_{}'.format(cpu,workload),
                   verifiers=verifiers,
                   config=joinpath(getcwd(), 'run.py'),
-                  config_args=['--cpu={}'.format(cpu), workload_path],
+                  config_args=['--cpu={}'.format(cpu), binary],
                   valid_isas=(isa.upper(),),
                   fixtures=[workload_binary]
            )
diff --git a/tests/gem5/fixture.py b/tests/gem5/fixture.py
index e84b89f..d39296e 100644
--- a/tests/gem5/fixture.py
+++ b/tests/gem5/fixture.py
@@ -37,11 +37,14 @@
 # OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #
 # Authors: Sean Wilson
+#          Nikos Nikoleris
 
 import os
 import tempfile
 import shutil
 import threading
+import urllib
+import urllib2
 
 from testlib.fixture import Fixture
 from testlib.config import config, constants
@@ -239,44 +242,43 @@
         elif not os.path.exists(self.path):
             super(MakeTarget, self).setup()
 
-class DownloadedProgram(Fixture):
+class DownloadedProgram(UniqueFixture):
     """ Like TestProgram, but checks the version in the gem5 binary repository
         and downloads an updated version if it is needed.
     """
-    urlbase = "http://gem5.org/dist/current/"
 
-    def __init__(self, path, program, **kwargs):
+    def __new__(cls, url, path, filename):
+        target = joinpath(path, filename)
+        return super(DownloadedProgram, cls).__new__(cls, target)
+
+    def _init(self, url, path, filename, **kwargs):
         """
+        url: string
+            The url of the archive
         path: string
-            The path to the directory containing the binary relative to
-            $GEM5_BASE/tests
-        program: string
-            The name of the binary file
+            The absolute path of the directory containing the archive
+        filename: string
+            The name of the archive
         """
-        super(DownloadedProgram, self).__init__("download-" + program,
-                                                build_once=True, **kwargs)
 
-        self.program_dir = path
-        relative_path = joinpath(self.program_dir, program)
-        self.url = self.urlbase + relative_path
-        self.path = os.path.realpath(
-                        joinpath(absdirpath(__file__), '../', relative_path)
-                    )
+        self.url = url
+        self.path = path
+        self.filename = joinpath(path, filename)
+        self.name = "Downloaded:" + self.filename
 
     def _download(self):
-        import urllib
         import errno
         log.test_log.debug("Downloading " + self.url + " to " + self.path)
-        if not os.path.exists(self.program_dir):
+        if not os.path.exists(self.path):
             try:
-                os.makedirs(self.program_dir)
+                os.makedirs(self.path)
             except OSError as e:
                 if e.errno != errno.EEXIST:
                     raise
-        urllib.urlretrieve(self.url, self.path)
+        urllib.urlretrieve(self.url, self.filename)
 
     def _getremotetime(self):
-        import  urllib2, datetime, time
+        import datetime, time
         import _strptime # Needed for python threading bug
 
         u = urllib2.urlopen(self.url)
@@ -284,18 +286,44 @@
                     u.info().getheaders("Last-Modified")[0],
                     "%a, %d %b %Y %X GMT").timetuple())
 
-    def setup(self, testitem):
-        import urllib2
+    def _setup(self, testitem):
         # Check to see if there is a file downloaded
-        if not os.path.exists(self.path):
+        if not os.path.exists(self.filename):
             self._download()
         else:
             try:
                 t = self._getremotetime()
             except urllib2.URLError:
                 # Problem checking the server, use the old files.
-                log.debug("Could not contact server. Binaries may be old.")
+                log.test_log.debug("Could not contact server. Binaries may be old.")
                 return
             # If the server version is more recent, download it
-            if t > os.path.getmtime(self.path):
+            if t > os.path.getmtime(self.filename):
                 self._download()
+
+class DownloadedArchive(DownloadedProgram):
+    """ Like TestProgram, but checks the version in the gem5 binary repository
+        and downloads an updated version if it is needed.
+    """
+
+    def _extract(self):
+        import tarfile
+        with tarfile.open(self.filename) as tf:
+            tf.extractall(self.path)
+
+    def _setup(self, testitem):
+        # Check to see if there is a file downloaded
+        if not os.path.exists(self.filename):
+            self._download()
+            self._extract()
+        else:
+            try:
+                t = self._getremotetime()
+            except urllib2.URLError:
+                # Problem checking the server, use the old files.
+                log.test_log.debug("Could not contact server. Binaries may be old.")
+                return
+            # If the server version is more recent, download it
+            if t > os.path.getmtime(self.filename):
+                self._download()
+                self._extract()
diff --git a/tests/gem5/hello_se/test_hello_se.py b/tests/gem5/hello_se/test_hello_se.py
index 5017962..cc62efb 100644
--- a/tests/gem5/hello_se/test_hello_se.py
+++ b/tests/gem5/hello_se/test_hello_se.py
@@ -36,11 +36,14 @@
     'arm': ('hello64-static', 'hello32-static'),
 }
 
+urlbase = 'http://gem5.org/dist/current/test-progs/hello/bin/'
 for isa in test_progs:
     for binary in test_progs[isa]:
         import os
-        path = os.path.join('test-progs', 'hello', 'bin', isa, 'linux')
-        hello_program = DownloadedProgram(path, binary)
+        url = urlbase + isa + '/linux/' + binary
+        path = joinpath(absdirpath(__file__), '..', 'test-progs', 'hello',
+                        'bin', isa, 'linux')
+        hello_program = DownloadedProgram(url, path, binary)
 
         ref_path = joinpath(getcwd(), 'ref')
 
@@ -53,6 +56,6 @@
                 fixtures=(hello_program,),
                 verifiers=verifiers,
                 config=joinpath(config.base_dir, 'configs', 'example','se.py'),
-                config_args=['--cmd', hello_program.path],
+                config_args=['--cmd', joinpath(path, binary)],
                 valid_isas=(isa.upper(),),
         )
diff --git a/tests/gem5/m5_util/test_exit.py b/tests/gem5/m5_util/test_exit.py
index a766db4..3c99512 100644
--- a/tests/gem5/m5_util/test_exit.py
+++ b/tests/gem5/m5_util/test_exit.py
@@ -37,8 +37,11 @@
 r'Exiting @ tick \d* because m5_exit instruction encountered'
 )
 
-test_program = DownloadedProgram('test-progs/m5-exit/bin/x86/linux/',\
-        'm5_exit')
+path = joinpath(absdirpath(__file__), '..',
+                'test-progs', 'hello', 'bin', 'x86', 'linux')
+filename = 'm5_exit'
+url = 'http://gem5.org/dist/current/test-progs/m5-exit/bin/x86/linux/m5_exit'
+test_program = DownloadedProgram(url, path, filename)
 
 a = verifier.MatchRegex(m5_exit_regex)
 gem5_verify_config(
@@ -46,6 +49,6 @@
     verifiers=[a],
     fixtures=(test_program,),
     config=os.path.join(config.base_dir, 'configs', 'example','se.py'),
-    config_args=['--cmd', test_program.path],
+    config_args=['--cmd', joinpath(test_program.path, filename)],
     valid_isas=('X86',)
 )