diff --git a/tests/linux/afp_entry_id_smoke.c b/tests/linux/afp_entry_id_smoke.c
index 896cb32..1ba5512 100644
--- a/tests/linux/afp_entry_id_smoke.c
+++ b/tests/linux/afp_entry_id_smoke.c
@@ -91,41 +91,54 @@ static int split_volume_path(const char *path, char *volume, size_t volume_size,
 static NWCCODE allocate_temp_dir_handle(NWCONN_HANDLE conn, const char *volume,
                                         unsigned int *dir_handle)
 {
-    int volnum = 0;
-    NWDIR_HANDLE handle = 0;
-    NWVOL_NUM returned_volume = 0;
+    char root_path[64];
+    size_t volume_len = strlen(volume);
+    uint8_t request[3 + sizeof(root_path)];
+    uint8_t reply_buf[2];
+    NW_FRAGMENT reply;
     NWCCODE err;
 
-    if (!volume || !*volume)
+    if (!volume_len || volume_len + 1 >= sizeof(root_path))
         return NWE_INVALID_PATH;
 
-    err = ncp_get_volume_number(conn, volume, &volnum);
-    if (err)
-        return err;
+    memcpy(root_path, volume, volume_len);
+    root_path[volume_len] = ':';
+    root_path[volume_len + 1] = '\0';
 
     /*
-     * Allocate a short handle for the volume root using the same DIRBASE form
-     * as the ncpfs tests.  The AFP request itself receives only the relative
-     * path below that handle.
+     * mars_nwe implements the old NCP 0x16/0x13 Allocate Temporary Directory
+     * Handle endpoint directly. Use that server-native call for the smoke
+     * test instead of NCP 87 namespace allocation: the namespace helper is
+     * useful for ncpfs against NetWare, but mars_nwe currently rejects the
+     * DIRBASE volume-root form before the AFP endpoint is reached.
      *
-     * Passing "SYS:" as a NOHANDLE path reaches mars_nwe's path parser in a
-     * form it rejects before the AFP endpoint is sent.  Resolve the volume
-     * number first, then allocate the root handle as DIRBASE(vol, 0, NULL).
+     * Request payload after the subfunction byte:
+     *   source directory handle
+     *   drive letter / target slot hint
+     *   path length
+     *   path bytes, here "VOL:"
      */
-    err = ncp_ns_alloc_short_dir_handle(conn,
-                                        NW_NS_DOS,
-                                        NCP_DIRSTYLE_DIRBASE,
-                                        (unsigned int)volnum,
-                                        0,
-                                        NULL,
-                                        0,
-                                        NCP_ALLOC_TEMPORARY,
-                                        &handle,
-                                        &returned_volume);
+    request[0] = 0;                 /* source dir handle */
+    request[1] = 0;                 /* no client drive-letter mapping needed */
+    request[2] = (uint8_t)(volume_len + 1);
+    memcpy(request + 3, root_path, volume_len + 1);
+
+    memset(reply_buf, 0, sizeof(reply_buf));
+    reply.fragAddr.rw = reply_buf;
+    reply.fragSize = sizeof(reply_buf);
+
+    err = NWRequestSimple(conn,
+                          NCPC_SFN(0x16, 0x13),
+                          request,
+                          3 + volume_len + 1,
+                          &reply);
     if (err)
         return err;
 
-    *dir_handle = (unsigned int)handle;
+    if (reply.fragSize < 1)
+        return NWE_INVALID_NCP_PACKET_LENGTH;
+
+    *dir_handle = reply_buf[0];
     return 0;
 }