diff --git a/tests/test_reference_runs/test_pre_deployment.py b/tests/test_reference_runs/test_pre_deployment.py
index e779ef8708b223eea73430cfa423d24ea6fa9cf5..32ea35f130581b606b3d619586a509110f2d78ca 100644
--- a/tests/test_reference_runs/test_pre_deployment.py
+++ b/tests/test_reference_runs/test_pre_deployment.py
@@ -443,16 +443,20 @@ def test_xfel_calibrate(
     cmd = ["xfel-calibrate", det_type, cal_type]
 
     cal_conf = val_dict["config"]
-    report_name = f"{test_key}_{datetime.now().strftime('%y%m%d_%H%M%S')}"
-    cal_conf["report-to"] = report_name
 
     out_folder = pathlib.Path(cal_conf["out-folder"].format(
         out_dir_base, cal_conf["karabo-id"], test_key))
-    cmd = parse_config(cmd, cal_conf, out_folder)
-
     reference_folder = pathlib.Path(val_dict["reference-folder"].format(
         reference_dir_base, cal_conf["karabo-id"], test_key))
 
+    report_name = (
+        reference_folder /
+        f"{test_key}_{datetime.now().strftime('%y%m%d_%H%M%S')}")
+
+    cal_conf["report-to"] = str(report_name)
+
+    cmd = parse_config(cmd, cal_conf, out_folder)
+
     if only_validate:
         validate_hdf5_files(
             test_key,