diff --git a/fsl/utils/tempdir.py b/fsl/utils/tempdir.py
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index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..f17aa4482ef2db629e0f363c4fc70679ad57866c
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+++ b/fsl/utils/tempdir.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+#
+# tempdir.py - Utilities for working with temporary directories.
+#
+# Author: Paul McCarthy <pauldmccarthy@gmail.com>
+#
+"""This module contains utilities for working with temporary files and
+directories. It currently only contains one function:
+
+.. autosummary::
+   :nosignature:
+
+   tempdir
+"""
+
+
+import os
+import shutil
+import tempfile
+import contextlib
+
+
+@contextlib.contextmanager
+def tempdir():
+    """Returns a context manager which creates and returns a temporary
+    directory, and then deletes it on exit.
+    """
+
+    testdir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+    prevdir = os.getcwd()
+    try:
+
+        os.chdir(testdir)
+        yield testdir
+
+    finally:
+        os.chdir(prevdir)
+        shutil.rmtree(testdir)