diff --git a/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/dhcpv6_server.sh b/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/dhcpv6_server.sh
index 5a1e95691b..57b7f76e90 100755
--- a/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/dhcpv6_server.sh
+++ b/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/dhcpv6_server.sh
@@ -6,20 +6,55 @@
 # Distributed under terms of the MIT license.
 #
 
-if [ "$EUID" -ne 0 ]; then
-  echo -e "\033[31;1mRequire root since kea uses some PID and Lock files in /var\033[0m" >&2
-  exit 1
-fi
-
 if ! command -v kea-dhcp6; then
   echo -e "\033[31;1mCommand kea-dhcp6 required\033[0m" >&2
   exit 1
 fi
 
+_sem_ver() {
+    major=$(echo "$1" | cut -d. -f1 | sed -e 's/^0\+//' -e 's/^$/0/')
+    minor=$(echo "$1" | cut -d. -f2 | sed -e 's/^0\+//' -e 's/^$/0/')
+    patch=$(echo "$1" | cut -d. -f3 | sed -e 's/^0\+//' -e 's/^$/0/')
+    echo "$(( major << 32 | minor << 8 | patch ))"
+}
+
+_kea_version_lesser_1_7_10() {
+    test "$(_sem_ver "$(kea-dhcp6 -v)")" -lt "$(_sem_ver "1.7.10")"
+    return $?
+}
+
 _dhcpv6_server() {
+    TMPDIR="$(mktemp -u | xargs dirname)/${APPLICATION}_kea"
+
+    # only used `mktemp` with dry-run above to get temp directory name, so we
+    # still need to create the directory
+    mkdir -p "${TMPDIR}"
+    if _kea_version_lesser_1_7_10; then
+        config=$2
+    else
+        # Top-level "Logging" config is not supported by Kea >=1.7.10, so move
+        # that config to Dhcp6 map, see
+        # https://kea.readthedocs.io/en/kea-1.7.10/arm/config.html#json-syntax
+        config="${TMPDIR}/kea-dhcp6.config"
+        convert_json="$(cat <<EOF
+import json
+
+with open('$2') as c:
+    config = json.load(c)
+logging = config.pop('Logging', None)
+if logging is not None:
+    config['Dhcp6'].update(logging)
+with open('$config', 'w') as c:
+    json.dump(config, c)
+EOF
+)"
+        python3 -c "$convert_json"
+    fi
     sleep 1 # sleep to let TAP become active
-    sudo kea-dhcp6 -p $1 -c $2
+    cd "$TMPDIR" || exit 1
+    KEA_PIDFILE_DIR=. KEA_LOCKFILE_DIR=. \
+        kea-dhcp6 -p "$1" -c "$config" &
 }
 
 # no need to kill from external, kea handles double instances gracefully
-_dhcpv6_server $1 $2 &
+_dhcpv6_server "$1" "$2" &
diff --git a/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/kea-dhcp6.conf b/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/kea-dhcp6.conf
index b42eade5bd..ebe7d9215e 100644
--- a/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/kea-dhcp6.conf
+++ b/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/kea-dhcp6.conf
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
     "interfaces-config": {
       "interfaces": [ "tapbr0" ]
     },
+    "data-directory": ".",
     "lease-database": {
-      "type": "memfile"
+      "type": "memfile",
+      "name": "kea-dhcp6.leases.csv"
     },
     "expired-leases-processing": {
       "reclaim-timer-wait-time": 10,
diff --git a/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/tests-as-root/01-run.py b/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/tests-with-config/01-run.py
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/tests-as-root/01-run.py
rename to tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/tests-with-config/01-run.py