diff --git a/climada/hazard/test/test_trop_cyclone.py b/climada/hazard/test/test_trop_cyclone.py
index adacc97a9c..72507793d7 100644
--- a/climada/hazard/test/test_trop_cyclone.py
+++ b/climada/hazard/test/test_trop_cyclone.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 import xarray as xr
 
 from climada.util import ureg
+from climada.util.api_client import Client
 from climada.hazard.tc_tracks import TCTracks
 from climada.hazard.trop_cyclone import (
     TropCyclone, get_close_centroids, _vtrans, _B_holland_1980, _bs_holland_2008,
@@ -43,7 +44,9 @@
 TEST_TRACK = DATA_DIR.joinpath("trac_brb_test.csv")
 TEST_TRACK_SHORT = DATA_DIR.joinpath("trac_short_test.csv")
 
-CENTR_TEST_BRB = Centroids.from_hdf5(DATA_DIR.joinpath('centr_brb_test.hdf5'))
+CENTR_TEST_BRB = Centroids.from_hdf5(
+    Client().get_dataset_file(name='centr_test_brb', status='test_dataset'))
+
 
 class TestReader(unittest.TestCase):
     """Test loading funcions from the TropCyclone class"""
diff --git a/climada/util/api_client.py b/climada/util/api_client.py
index 9bdf0537c8..eb1ac17d25 100644
--- a/climada/util/api_client.py
+++ b/climada/util/api_client.py
@@ -1072,3 +1072,25 @@ def rm_empty_dirs(directory: Path):
             except OSError:  # raised when the directory is not empty
                 pass
         rm_empty_dirs(target_dir)
+
+    def get_dataset_file(self, **kwargs):
+        """Convenience method. Combines ``get_dataset`` and ``download_dataset``.
+        Returns the path to a single file if the dataset has only one,
+        otherwise throws an error.
+        
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        **kwargs
+            arguments for get_dataset and download_dataset
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        Path
+        """
+        download_arguments = {
+            'target_dir': kwargs.pop('target_dir', SYSTEM_DIR),
+            'organize_path': kwargs.pop('organize_path', True),
+        }
+        dsi = self.get_dataset_info(**kwargs)
+        _, [test_file] = self.download_dataset(dsi, **download_arguments)
+        return test_file