diff --git a/t/t7503-pre-commit-and-pre-merge-commit-hooks.sh b/t/t7503-pre-commit-and-pre-merge-commit-hooks.sh
index 5cc6c98375..a6f1240aa2 100755
--- a/t/t7503-pre-commit-and-pre-merge-commit-hooks.sh
+++ b/t/t7503-pre-commit-and-pre-merge-commit-hooks.sh
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ test_expect_success 'root commit' '
 
 test_expect_success 'with no hook' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
-	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	>expected_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	echo "foo" >file &&
 	git add file &&
 	git commit -m "first" &&
@@ -52,7 +53,8 @@ test_expect_success 'with no hook' '
 
 test_expect_success 'with no hook (merge)' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
-	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	>expected_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	git checkout side &&
 	git merge -m "merge master" master &&
 	git checkout master &&
@@ -61,7 +63,8 @@ test_expect_success 'with no hook (merge)' '
 
 test_expect_success '--no-verify with no hook' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
-	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	>expected_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	echo "bar" >file &&
 	git add file &&
 	git commit --no-verify -m "bar" &&
@@ -70,7 +73,8 @@ test_expect_success '--no-verify with no hook' '
 
 test_expect_success '--no-verify with no hook (merge)' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
-	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	>expected_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	git checkout side &&
 	git merge --no-verify -m "merge master" master &&
 	git checkout master &&
@@ -80,7 +84,7 @@ test_expect_success '--no-verify with no hook (merge)' '
 test_expect_success 'with succeeding hook' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
 	ln -s "success.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
-	touch actual_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	echo "$PRECOMMIT" >expected_hooks &&
 	echo "more" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
@@ -91,7 +95,7 @@ test_expect_success 'with succeeding hook' '
 test_expect_success 'with succeeding hook (merge)' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PREMERGE\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
 	ln -s "success.sample" "$PREMERGE" &&
-	touch actual_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	echo "$PREMERGE" >expected_hooks &&
 	git checkout side &&
 	git merge -m "merge master" master &&
@@ -102,7 +106,8 @@ test_expect_success 'with succeeding hook (merge)' '
 test_expect_success '--no-verify with succeeding hook' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
 	ln -s "success.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
-	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	>expected_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	echo "even more" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
 	git commit --no-verify -m "even more" &&
@@ -112,7 +117,8 @@ test_expect_success '--no-verify with succeeding hook' '
 test_expect_success '--no-verify with succeeding hook (merge)' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PREMERGE\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
 	ln -s "success.sample" "$PREMERGE" &&
-	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	>expected_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	git checkout side &&
 	git merge --no-verify -m "merge master" master &&
 	git checkout master &&
@@ -122,7 +128,7 @@ test_expect_success '--no-verify with succeeding hook (merge)' '
 test_expect_success 'with failing hook' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
 	ln -s "fail.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
-	touch actual_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	echo "$PRECOMMIT" >expected_hooks &&
 	echo "another" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
@@ -133,7 +139,8 @@ test_expect_success 'with failing hook' '
 test_expect_success '--no-verify with failing hook' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PRECOMMIT\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
 	ln -s "fail.sample" "$PRECOMMIT" &&
-	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	>expected_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	echo "stuff" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
 	git commit --no-verify -m "stuff" &&
@@ -143,7 +150,7 @@ test_expect_success '--no-verify with failing hook' '
 test_expect_success 'with failing hook (merge)' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PREMERGE\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
 	ln -s "fail.sample" "$PREMERGE" &&
-	touch actual_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	echo "$PREMERGE" >expected_hooks &&
 	git checkout side &&
 	test_must_fail git merge -m "merge master" master &&
@@ -154,7 +161,8 @@ test_expect_success 'with failing hook (merge)' '
 test_expect_success '--no-verify with failing hook (merge)' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f \"$PREMERGE\" expected_hooks actual_hooks" &&
 	ln -s "fail.sample" "$PREMERGE" &&
-	touch expected_hooks actual_hooks &&
+	>expected_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	git checkout side &&
 	git merge --no-verify -m "merge master" master &&
 	git checkout master &&
@@ -165,7 +173,8 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM 'with non-executable hook' '
 	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 &&
+	>expected_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	echo "content" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
 	git commit -m "content" &&
@@ -176,7 +185,8 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM '--no-verify with non-executable hook' '
 	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 &&
+	>expected_hooks &&
+	>actual_hooks &&
 	echo "more content" >>file &&
 	git add file &&
 	git commit --no-verify -m "more content" &&
