diff --git a/Lib/test/test_shutil.py b/Lib/test/test_shutil.py
index 074fe50..dcec65b 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_shutil.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_shutil.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 import errno
 from os.path import splitdrive
 from distutils.spawn import find_executable, spawn
-from shutil import (_make_tarball, _make_zipfile, make_archive,
+from shutil import (make_archive,
                     register_archive_format, unregister_archive_format,
                     get_archive_formats)
 import tarfile
@@ -374,114 +374,106 @@
     @unittest.skipUnless(zlib, "requires zlib")
     def test_make_tarball(self):
         # creating something to tar
-        tmpdir = self.mkdtemp()
-        self.write_file([tmpdir, 'file1'], 'xxx')
-        self.write_file([tmpdir, 'file2'], 'xxx')
-        os.mkdir(os.path.join(tmpdir, 'sub'))
-        self.write_file([tmpdir, 'sub', 'file3'], 'xxx')
+        root_dir, base_dir = self._create_files('')
 
         tmpdir2 = self.mkdtemp()
         # force shutil to create the directory
         os.rmdir(tmpdir2)
-        unittest.skipUnless(splitdrive(tmpdir)[0] == splitdrive(tmpdir2)[0],
+        unittest.skipUnless(splitdrive(root_dir)[0] == splitdrive(tmpdir2)[0],
                             "source and target should be on same drive")
 
         base_name = os.path.join(tmpdir2, 'archive')
 
         # working with relative paths to avoid tar warnings
-        with support.change_cwd(tmpdir):
-            _make_tarball(splitdrive(base_name)[1], '.')
+        make_archive(splitdrive(base_name)[1], 'gztar', root_dir, '.')
 
         # check if the compressed tarball was created
         tarball = base_name + '.tar.gz'
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(tarball))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(tarball))
+        self.assertTrue(tarfile.is_tarfile(tarball))
+        with tarfile.open(tarball, 'r:gz') as tf:
+            self.assertEqual(sorted(tf.getnames()),
+                             ['.', './file1', './file2',
+                              './sub', './sub/file3', './sub2'])
 
         # trying an uncompressed one
         base_name = os.path.join(tmpdir2, 'archive')
-        with support.change_cwd(tmpdir):
-            _make_tarball(splitdrive(base_name)[1], '.', compress=None)
+        make_archive(splitdrive(base_name)[1], 'tar', root_dir, '.')
         tarball = base_name + '.tar'
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(tarball))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(tarball))
+        self.assertTrue(tarfile.is_tarfile(tarball))
+        with tarfile.open(tarball, 'r') as tf:
+            self.assertEqual(sorted(tf.getnames()),
+                             ['.', './file1', './file2',
+                              './sub', './sub/file3', './sub2'])
 
     def _tarinfo(self, path):
-        tar = tarfile.open(path)
-        try:
+        with tarfile.open(path) as tar:
             names = tar.getnames()
             names.sort()
             return tuple(names)
-        finally:
-            tar.close()
 
-    def _create_files(self):
+    def _create_files(self, base_dir='dist'):
         # creating something to tar
-        tmpdir = self.mkdtemp()
-        dist = os.path.join(tmpdir, 'dist')
-        os.mkdir(dist)
-        self.write_file([dist, 'file1'], 'xxx')
-        self.write_file([dist, 'file2'], 'xxx')
+        root_dir = self.mkdtemp()
+        dist = os.path.join(root_dir, base_dir)
+        if not os.path.isdir(dist):
+            os.makedirs(dist)
+        self.write_file((dist, 'file1'), 'xxx')
+        self.write_file((dist, 'file2'), 'xxx')
         os.mkdir(os.path.join(dist, 'sub'))
-        self.write_file([dist, 'sub', 'file3'], 'xxx')
+        self.write_file((dist, 'sub', 'file3'), 'xxx')
         os.mkdir(os.path.join(dist, 'sub2'))
-        tmpdir2 = self.mkdtemp()
-        base_name = os.path.join(tmpdir2, 'archive')
-        return tmpdir, tmpdir2, base_name
+        if base_dir:
+            self.write_file((root_dir, 'outer'), 'xxx')
+        return root_dir, base_dir
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(zlib, "Requires zlib")
-    @unittest.skipUnless(find_executable('tar') and find_executable('gzip'),
+    @unittest.skipUnless(find_executable('tar'),
                          'Need the tar command to run')
     def test_tarfile_vs_tar(self):
-        tmpdir, tmpdir2, base_name =  self._create_files()
-        with support.change_cwd(tmpdir):
-            _make_tarball(base_name, 'dist')
+        root_dir, base_dir = self._create_files()
+        base_name = os.path.join(self.mkdtemp(), 'archive')
+        make_archive(base_name, 'gztar', root_dir, base_dir)
 
         # check if the compressed tarball was created
         tarball = base_name + '.tar.gz'
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(tarball))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(tarball))
 
         # now create another tarball using `tar`
-        tarball2 = os.path.join(tmpdir, 'archive2.tar.gz')
-        tar_cmd = ['tar', '-cf', 'archive2.tar', 'dist']
-        gzip_cmd = ['gzip', '-f9', 'archive2.tar']
-        with support.change_cwd(tmpdir):
-            with captured_stdout() as s:
-                spawn(tar_cmd)
-                spawn(gzip_cmd)
+        tarball2 = os.path.join(root_dir, 'archive2.tar')
+        tar_cmd = ['tar', '-cf', 'archive2.tar', base_dir]
+        with support.change_cwd(root_dir), captured_stdout():
+            spawn(tar_cmd)
 
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(tarball2))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(tarball2))
         # let's compare both tarballs
         self.assertEqual(self._tarinfo(tarball), self._tarinfo(tarball2))
 
         # trying an uncompressed one
-        base_name = os.path.join(tmpdir2, 'archive')
-        with support.change_cwd(tmpdir):
-            _make_tarball(base_name, 'dist', compress=None)
+        make_archive(base_name, 'tar', root_dir, base_dir)
         tarball = base_name + '.tar'
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(tarball))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(tarball))
 
         # now for a dry_run
-        base_name = os.path.join(tmpdir2, 'archive')
-        with support.change_cwd(tmpdir):
-            _make_tarball(base_name, 'dist', compress=None, dry_run=True)
+        make_archive(base_name, 'tar', root_dir, base_dir, dry_run=True)
         tarball = base_name + '.tar'
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(tarball))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(tarball))
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(zlib, "Requires zlib")
     @unittest.skipUnless(ZIP_SUPPORT, 'Need zip support to run')
     def test_make_zipfile(self):
-        # creating something to tar
-        tmpdir = self.mkdtemp()
-        self.write_file([tmpdir, 'file1'], 'xxx')
-        self.write_file([tmpdir, 'file2'], 'xxx')
+        # creating something to zip
+        root_dir, base_dir = self._create_files()
+        base_name = os.path.join(self.mkdtemp(), 'archive')
+        res = make_archive(base_name, 'zip', root_dir, 'dist')
 
-        tmpdir2 = self.mkdtemp()
-        # force shutil to create the directory
-        os.rmdir(tmpdir2)
-        base_name = os.path.join(tmpdir2, 'archive')
-        _make_zipfile(base_name, tmpdir)
-
-        # check if the compressed tarball was created
-        tarball = base_name + '.zip'
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(tarball))
+        self.assertEqual(res, base_name + '.zip')
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(res))
+        self.assertTrue(zipfile.is_zipfile(res))
+        with zipfile.ZipFile(res) as zf:
+            self.assertEqual(sorted(zf.namelist()),
+                             ['dist/file1', 'dist/file2', 'dist/sub/file3'])
 
 
     def test_make_archive(self):
@@ -499,35 +491,36 @@
         else:
             group = owner = 'root'
 
-        base_dir, root_dir, base_name =  self._create_files()
-        base_name = os.path.join(self.mkdtemp() , 'archive')
+        root_dir, base_dir = self._create_files()
+        base_name = os.path.join(self.mkdtemp(), 'archive')
         res = make_archive(base_name, 'zip', root_dir, base_dir, owner=owner,
                            group=group)
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(res))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(res))
 
         res = make_archive(base_name, 'zip', root_dir, base_dir)
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(res))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(res))
 
         res = make_archive(base_name, 'tar', root_dir, base_dir,
                            owner=owner, group=group)
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(res))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(res))
 
         res = make_archive(base_name, 'tar', root_dir, base_dir,
                            owner='kjhkjhkjg', group='oihohoh')
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(res))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(res))
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(zlib, "Requires zlib")
     @unittest.skipUnless(UID_GID_SUPPORT, "Requires grp and pwd support")
     def test_tarfile_root_owner(self):
-        tmpdir, tmpdir2, base_name =  self._create_files()
+        root_dir, base_dir = self._create_files()
+        base_name = os.path.join(self.mkdtemp(), 'archive')
         group = grp.getgrgid(0)[0]
         owner = pwd.getpwuid(0)[0]
-        with support.change_cwd(tmpdir):
-            archive_name = _make_tarball(base_name, 'dist', compress=None,
-                                         owner=owner, group=group)
+        with support.change_cwd(root_dir):
+            archive_name = make_archive(base_name, 'gztar', root_dir, 'dist',
+                                        owner=owner, group=group)
 
         # check if the compressed tarball was created
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(archive_name))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(archive_name))
 
         # now checks the rights
         archive = tarfile.open(archive_name)