diff --git a/pip/util.py b/pip/util.py
index 2e98fdede..7b5530383 100644
--- a/pip/util.py
+++ b/pip/util.py
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ __all__ = ['rmtree', 'display_path', 'backup_dir',
            'cache_download', 'unpack_file']
 
 
-def rmtree(dir):
-    shutil.rmtree(dir, ignore_errors=True,
+def rmtree(dir, ignore_errors=True):
+    shutil.rmtree(dir, ignore_errors=ignore_errors,
                   onerror=rmtree_errorhandler)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/path.py b/tests/path.py
index 7b94de1e9..d564ac607 100644
--- a/tests/path.py
+++ b/tests/path.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ else:
 
 _base = os.path.supports_unicode_filenames and unicode or str
 
+from pip.util import rmtree
 
 class Path(_base):
     """ Models a path in an object oriented way. """
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ class Path(_base):
 
     def rmtree(self, noerrors=True):
         """ Removes a directory tree. Ignores errors by default. """
-        return shutil.rmtree(self, ignore_errors=noerrors)
+        return rmtree(self, ignore_errors=noerrors)
 
     def copy(self, to):
         shutil.copy(self, to)
diff --git a/tests/test_all_pip.py b/tests/test_all_pip.py
index 1b8f8fc67..f2f1ea16d 100644
--- a/tests/test_all_pip.py
+++ b/tests/test_all_pip.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
+import os
 import re
 import sys
-import os
 import subprocess
 import shutil
-from pip.backwardcompat import urllib
 from os.path import dirname, abspath
 
+from pip.backwardcompat import urllib
+from pip.util import rmtree
+
 
 src_folder = dirname(dirname(abspath(__file__)))
 
@@ -76,12 +78,12 @@ def _test_packages(output, pending_fn):
         print('Installation of %s succeeded' % package)
         add_package(os.path.join(output, 'success.txt'), package)
         pop_last_item(pending_fn, package)
-        shutil.rmtree(dest_dir)
+        rmtree(dest_dir)
 
 
 def create_venv(dest_dir):
     if os.path.exists(dest_dir):
-        shutil.rmtree(dest_dir)
+        rmtree(dest_dir)
     print('Creating virtualenv in %s' % dest_dir)
     code = subprocess.check_call(['virtualenv', '--no-site-packages', dest_dir])
     assert not code, "virtualenv failed"
diff --git a/tests/test_pip.py b/tests/test_pip.py
index 255815d45..7dfd90694 100644
--- a/tests/test_pip.py
+++ b/tests/test_pip.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import atexit
 import textwrap
 from scripttest import TestFileEnvironment
 from tests.path import Path, curdir, u
+from pip.util import rmtree
 
 pyversion = sys.version[:3]
 
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ def install_setuptools(env):
             shutil.copy2(f, tempdir)
         return env.run(os.path.join(tempdir, 'easy_install'), version)
     finally:
-        shutil.rmtree(tempdir)
+        rmtree(tempdir)
 
 
 env = None
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ class TestFailure(AssertionError):
 def _cleanup():
     global env
     del env
-    shutil.rmtree(download_cache, ignore_errors=True)
+    rmtree(download_cache, ignore_errors=True)
 
 atexit.register(_cleanup)
 
@@ -354,7 +355,7 @@ class TestPipEnvironment(TestFileEnvironment):
         return TestPipResult(super(TestPipEnvironment, self).run(cwd=cwd, *args, **kw), verbose=self.verbose)
 
     def __del__(self):
-        shutil.rmtree(str(self.root_path), ignore_errors=True)
+        rmtree(str(self.root_path), ignore_errors=True)
 
     def _use_cached_pypi_server(self):
         site_packages = self.root_path / self.site_packages
@@ -411,7 +412,7 @@ class FastTestPipEnvironment(TestPipEnvironment):
         self.environ['PATH'] = Path.pathsep.join((self.bin_path, self.environ['PATH']))
 
         if self.root_path.exists:
-            shutil.rmtree(self.root_path)
+            rmtree(self.root_path)
         if self.backup_path.exists:
             shutil.copytree(self.backup_path, self.root_path, True)
         else:
diff --git a/tests/test_uninstall.py b/tests/test_uninstall.py
index 0f995d166..8596368ed 100644
--- a/tests/test_uninstall.py
+++ b/tests/test_uninstall.py
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def test_uninstall_editable_with_source_outside_venv():
         tmpdir = join(temp, 'virtualenv')
         _test_uninstall_editable_with_source_outside_venv(tmpdir)
     finally:
-        shutil.rmtree(temp)
+        rmtree(temp)
 
 
 def _test_uninstall_editable_with_source_outside_venv(tmpdir):