diff --git a/teuthology/suite/merge.py b/teuthology/suite/merge.py
index f13058e47..e3bf78c5a 100644
--- a/teuthology/suite/merge.py
+++ b/teuthology/suite/merge.py
@@ -115,12 +115,14 @@ def config_merge(configs, suite_name=None, **kwargs):
     the entire job (config) from the list.
     """
     seed = kwargs.setdefault('seed', 1)
+    base_config = kwargs.setdefault('base_config', {})
     if not isinstance(seed, int):
         log.debug("no valid seed input: using 1")
         seed = 1
     log.debug("configuring Lua randomseed to %d", seed)
     L.execute(f'local math = require"math"; math.randomseed({seed});')
     new_script = L.eval('new_script')
+    base_config_yaml = yaml.safe_load(str(base_config))
     yaml_cache = {}
     for desc, paths in configs:
         log.debug("merging config %s", desc)
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ def config_merge(configs, suite_name=None, **kwargs):
         if suite_name is not None:
             desc = combine_path(suite_name, desc)
 
-        yaml_complete_obj = {}
+        yaml_complete_obj = copy.deepcopy(base_config_yaml)
         deep_merge(yaml_complete_obj, dict(TEUTHOLOGY_TEMPLATE))
         for path in paths:
             if path not in yaml_cache:
diff --git a/teuthology/suite/run.py b/teuthology/suite/run.py
index cc6859b73..ba72a4334 100644
--- a/teuthology/suite/run.py
+++ b/teuthology/suite/run.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 
 from humanfriendly import format_timespan
 
-from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
 from teuthology import repo_utils
 
 from teuthology.config import config, JobConfig
@@ -639,17 +638,10 @@ def schedule_suite(self):
             filter_out=self.args.filter_out,
             filter_all=self.args.filter_all,
             filter_fragments=self.args.filter_fragments,
+            base_config=self.base_config,
             seed=self.args.seed,
             suite_name=suite_name))
 
-        # create, but do not write, the temp file here, so it can be
-        # added to the args in collect_jobs, but not filled until
-        # any backtracking is done
-        base_yaml_path = NamedTemporaryFile(
-            prefix='schedule_suite_', delete=False
-        ).name
-        self.base_yaml_paths.insert(0, base_yaml_path)
-
         # compute job limit in respect of --sleep-before-teardown
         job_limit = self.args.limit or 0
         sleep_before_teardown = int(self.args.sleep_before_teardown or 0)
@@ -714,9 +706,6 @@ def schedule_suite(self):
                     dry_run=self.args.dry_run,
                 )
 
-        with open(base_yaml_path, 'w+b') as base_yaml:
-            base_yaml.write(str(self.base_config).encode())
-
         if jobs_to_schedule:
             self.write_rerun_memo()
 
@@ -728,8 +717,6 @@ def schedule_suite(self):
 
         self.schedule_jobs(jobs_missing_packages, jobs_to_schedule, name)
 
-        os.remove(base_yaml_path)
-
         count = len(jobs_to_schedule)
         missing_count = len(jobs_missing_packages)
         total_count = count