diff --git a/t/t7503-pre-commit-hook.sh b/t/t7503-pre-commit-hook.sh
index 984889b39d..500bdd97c2 100755
--- a/t/t7503-pre-commit-hook.sh
+++ b/t/t7503-pre-commit-hook.sh
@@ -4,124 +4,149 @@ test_description='pre-commit hook'
 
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
-test_expect_success 'with no hook' '
+HOOKDIR="$(git rev-parse --git-dir)/hooks"
+PRECOMMIT="$HOOKDIR/pre-commit"
+
+# Prepare sample scripts that write their $0 to actual_hooks
+test_expect_success 'sample script setup' '
+	mkdir -p "$HOOKDIR" &&
+	write_script "$HOOKDIR/success.sample" <<-\EOF &&
+	echo $0 >>actual_hooks
+	exit 0
+	EOF
+	write_script "$HOOKDIR/fail.sample" <<-\EOF &&
+	echo $0 >>actual_hooks
+	exit 1
+	EOF
+	write_script "$HOOKDIR/require-prefix.sample" <<-\EOF &&
+	echo $0 >>actual_hooks
+	test $GIT_PREFIX = "success/"
+	EOF
+	write_script "$HOOKDIR/check-author.sample" <<-\EOF
+	echo $0 >>actual_hooks
+	test "$GIT_AUTHOR_NAME" = "New Author" &&
+	test "$GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL" = "newauthor@example.com"
+	EOF
+'
 
-	echo "foo" > file &&
+test_expect_success 'with no hook' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -f expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
+	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	echo "foo" >file &&
 	git add file &&
-	git commit -m "first"
-
+	git commit -m "first" &&
+	test_cmp expected_hooks actual_hooks
 '
 
 test_expect_success '--no-verify with no hook' '
-
-	echo "bar" > file &&
+	test_when_finished "rm -f expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
+	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	echo "bar" >file &&
 	git add file &&
-	git commit --no-verify -m "bar"
-
+	git commit --no-verify -m "bar" &&
+	test_cmp expected_hooks actual_hooks
 '
 
-# now install hook that always succeeds
-HOOKDIR="$(git rev-parse --git-dir)/hooks"
-HOOK="$HOOKDIR/pre-commit"
-mkdir -p "$HOOKDIR"
-cat > "$HOOK" <<EOF
-#!/bin/sh
-exit 0
-EOF
-chmod +x "$HOOK"
-
 test_expect_success 'with succeeding hook' '
-
-	echo "more" >> file &&
+	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
+	ln -s "success.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
+	touch actual_hooks &&
+	echo "$PRECOMMIT" >expected_hooks &&
+	echo "more" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
-	git commit -m "more"
-
+	git commit -m "more" &&
+	test_cmp expected_hooks actual_hooks
 '
 
 test_expect_success '--no-verify with succeeding hook' '
-
-	echo "even more" >> file &&
+	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
+	ln -s "success.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
+	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	echo "even more" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
-	git commit --no-verify -m "even more"
-
+	git commit --no-verify -m "even more" &&
+	test_cmp expected_hooks actual_hooks
 '
 
-# now a hook that fails
-cat > "$HOOK" <<EOF
-#!/bin/sh
-exit 1
-EOF
-
 test_expect_success 'with failing hook' '
-
-	echo "another" >> file &&
+	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
+	ln -s "fail.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
+	touch actual_hooks &&
+	echo "$PRECOMMIT" >expected_hooks &&
+	echo "another" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
-	test_must_fail git commit -m "another"
-
+	test_must_fail git commit -m "another" &&
+	test_cmp expected_hooks actual_hooks
 '
 
 test_expect_success '--no-verify with failing hook' '
-
-	echo "stuff" >> file &&
+	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
+	ln -s "fail.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
+	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	echo "stuff" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
-	git commit --no-verify -m "stuff"
-
+	git commit --no-verify -m "stuff" &&
+	test_cmp expected_hooks actual_hooks
 '
 
-chmod -x "$HOOK"
 test_expect_success POSIXPERM 'with non-executable hook' '
-
-	echo "content" >> file &&
+	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks; chmod +x \"$HOOKDIR/fail.sample\"" &&
+	ln -s "fail.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
+	chmod -x "$HOOKDIR/fail.sample" &&
+	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	echo "content" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
-	git commit -m "content"
-
+	git commit -m "content" &&
+	test_cmp expected_hooks actual_hooks
 '
 
 test_expect_success POSIXPERM '--no-verify with non-executable hook' '
-
-	echo "more content" >> file &&
+	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks; chmod +x \"$HOOKDIR/fail.sample\"" &&
+	ln -s "fail.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
+	chmod -x "$HOOKDIR/fail.sample" &&
+	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	echo "more content" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
-	git commit --no-verify -m "more content"
-
+	git commit --no-verify -m "more content" &&
+	test_cmp expected_hooks actual_hooks
 '
-chmod +x "$HOOK"
-
-# a hook that checks $GIT_PREFIX and succeeds inside the
-# success/ subdirectory only
-cat > "$HOOK" <<EOF
-#!/bin/sh
-test \$GIT_PREFIX = success/
-EOF
 
 test_expect_success 'with hook requiring GIT_PREFIX' '
-
-	echo "more content" >> file &&
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks success" &&
+	ln -s "require-prefix.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
+	echo "$PRECOMMIT" >expected_hooks &&
+	echo "more content" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
 	mkdir success &&
 	(
 		cd success &&
 		git commit -m "hook requires GIT_PREFIX = success/"
 	) &&
-	rmdir success
+	test_cmp expected_hooks actual_hooks
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'with failing hook requiring GIT_PREFIX' '
-
-	echo "more content" >> file &&
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks fail" &&
+	ln -s "require-prefix.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
+	echo "$PRECOMMIT" >expected_hooks &&
+	echo "more content" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
 	mkdir fail &&
 	(
 		cd fail &&
 		test_must_fail git commit -m "hook must fail"
 	) &&
-	rmdir fail &&
-	git checkout -- file
+	git checkout -- file &&
+	test_cmp expected_hooks actual_hooks
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'check the author in hook' '
-	write_script "$HOOK" <<-\EOF &&
-	test "$GIT_AUTHOR_NAME" = "New Author" &&
-	test "$GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL" = "newauthor@example.com"
+	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
+	ln -s "check-author.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
+	cat >expected_hooks <<-EOF &&
+	$PRECOMMIT
+	$PRECOMMIT
+	$PRECOMMIT
 	EOF
 	test_must_fail git commit --allow-empty -m "by a.u.thor" &&
 	(
@@ -133,7 +158,8 @@ test_expect_success 'check the author in hook' '
 	) &&
 	git commit --author="New Author <newauthor@example.com>" \
 		--allow-empty -m "by new.author via command line" &&
-	git show -s
+	git show -s &&
+	test_cmp expected_hooks actual_hooks
 '
 
 test_done
