diff --git a/t/lib-httpd.sh b/t/lib-httpd.sh
index 608949ea80b..b8b1d044e8b 100644
--- a/t/lib-httpd.sh
+++ b/t/lib-httpd.sh
@@ -217,8 +217,12 @@ test_http_push_nonff () {
 		git commit -a -m path2 --amend &&
 
 		test_must_fail git push -v origin >output 2>&1 &&
-		(cd "$REMOTE_REPO" &&
-		 test $HEAD = $(git rev-parse --verify HEAD))
+		(
+			cd "$REMOTE_REPO" &&
+			echo "$HEAD" >expect &&
+			git rev-parse --verify HEAD >actual &&
+			test_cmp expect actual
+		)
 	'
 
 	test_expect_success 'non-fast-forward push show ref status' '
diff --git a/t/lib-submodule-update.sh b/t/lib-submodule-update.sh
index 2d31fcfda1f..d7c2b670b4a 100644
--- a/t/lib-submodule-update.sh
+++ b/t/lib-submodule-update.sh
@@ -168,20 +168,16 @@ replace_gitfile_with_git_dir () {
 # Note that this only supports submodules at the root level of the
 # superproject, with the default name, i.e. same as its path.
 test_git_directory_is_unchanged () {
-	(
-		cd ".git/modules/$1" &&
-		# does core.worktree point at the right place?
-		test "$(git config core.worktree)" = "../../../$1" &&
-		# remove it temporarily before comparing, as
-		# "$1/.git/config" lacks it...
-		git config --unset core.worktree
-	) &&
+	# does core.worktree point at the right place?
+	echo "../../../$1" >expect &&
+	git -C ".git/modules/$1" config core.worktree >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	# remove it temporarily before comparing, as
+	# "$1/.git/config" lacks it...
+	git -C ".git/modules/$1" config --unset core.worktree &&
 	diff -r ".git/modules/$1" "$1/.git" &&
-	(
-		# ... and then restore.
-		cd ".git/modules/$1" &&
-		git config core.worktree "../../../$1"
-	)
+	# ... and then restore.
+	git -C ".git/modules/$1" config core.worktree "../../../$1"
 }
 
 test_git_directory_exists () {
diff --git a/t/t0060-path-utils.sh b/t/t0060-path-utils.sh
index 68e29c904a6..dcc78fb6a7b 100755
--- a/t/t0060-path-utils.sh
+++ b/t/t0060-path-utils.sh
@@ -255,7 +255,10 @@ test_expect_success 'prefix_path rejects absolute path to dir with same beginnin
 test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'prefix_path works with absolute path to a symlink to work tree having  same beginning as work tree' '
 	git init repo &&
 	ln -s repo repolink &&
-	test "a" = "$(cd repo && test-tool path-utils prefix_path prefix "$(pwd)/../repolink/a")"
+	echo "a" >expect &&
+	repo_path="$(cd repo && pwd)" &&
+	test-tool -C repo path-utils prefix_path prefix "$repo_path/../repolink/a" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 relative_path /foo/a/b/c/	/foo/a/b/	c/
diff --git a/t/t3200-branch.sh b/t/t3200-branch.sh
index 5a169b68d6a..5a8a48287c1 100755
--- a/t/t3200-branch.sh
+++ b/t/t3200-branch.sh
@@ -245,9 +245,13 @@ test_expect_success 'git branch -M baz bam should succeed within a worktree in w
 	(
 		cd bazdir &&
 		git branch -M baz bam &&
-		test $(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD) = bam
+		echo bam >expect &&
+		git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
 	) &&
-	test $(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD) = bam &&
+	echo bam >expect &&
+	git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	rm -r bazdir &&
 	git worktree prune
 '
diff --git a/t/t5605-clone-local.sh b/t/t5605-clone-local.sh
index 38b850c10ef..1d7b1abda1a 100755
--- a/t/t5605-clone-local.sh
+++ b/t/t5605-clone-local.sh
@@ -15,8 +15,12 @@ test_expect_success 'preparing origin repository' '
 	: >file && git add . && git commit -m1 &&
 	git clone --bare . a.git &&
 	git clone --bare . x &&
-	test "$(cd a.git && git config --bool core.bare)" = true &&
-	test "$(cd x && git config --bool core.bare)" = true &&
+	echo true >expect &&
+	git -C a.git config --bool core.bare >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	echo true >expect &&
+	git -C x config --bool core.bare >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	git bundle create b1.bundle --all &&
 	git bundle create b2.bundle main &&
 	mkdir dir &&
@@ -29,7 +33,9 @@ test_expect_success 'preparing origin repository' '
 test_expect_success 'local clone without .git suffix' '
 	git clone -l -s a b &&
 	(cd b &&
-	test "$(git config --bool core.bare)" = false &&
+	echo false >expect &&
+	git config --bool core.bare >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	git fetch)
 '
 
diff --git a/t/t7402-submodule-rebase.sh b/t/t7402-submodule-rebase.sh
index ebeca12a711..1927a862839 100755
--- a/t/t7402-submodule-rebase.sh
+++ b/t/t7402-submodule-rebase.sh
@@ -82,11 +82,19 @@ test_expect_success 'stash with a dirty submodule' '
 	CURRENT=$(cd submodule && git rev-parse HEAD) &&
 	git stash &&
 	test new != $(cat file) &&
-	test submodule = $(git diff --name-only) &&
-	test $CURRENT = $(cd submodule && git rev-parse HEAD) &&
+	echo submodule >expect &&
+	git diff --name-only >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+
+	echo "$CURRENT" >expect &&
+	git -C submodule rev-parse HEAD >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+
 	git stash apply &&
 	test new = $(cat file) &&
-	test $CURRENT = $(cd submodule && git rev-parse HEAD)
+	echo "$CURRENT" >expect &&
+	git -C submodule rev-parse HEAD >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 
 '
 
