diff --git a/t/lib-submodule-update.sh b/t/lib-submodule-update.sh
index d7c2b670b4a..dee14992c52 100644
--- a/t/lib-submodule-update.sh
+++ b/t/lib-submodule-update.sh
@@ -185,7 +185,9 @@ test_git_directory_exists () {
 	if test -f sub1/.git
 	then
 		# does core.worktree point at the right place?
-		test "$(git -C .git/modules/$1 config core.worktree)" = "../../../$1"
+		echo "../../../$1" >expect &&
+		git -C ".git/modules/$1" config core.worktree >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
 	fi
 }
 
diff --git a/t/t0001-init.sh b/t/t0001-init.sh
index d479303efa0..30a6edca1d2 100755
--- a/t/t0001-init.sh
+++ b/t/t0001-init.sh
@@ -598,9 +598,14 @@ test_expect_success 'invalid default branch name' '
 test_expect_success 'branch -m with the initial branch' '
 	git init rename-initial &&
 	git -C rename-initial branch -m renamed &&
-	test renamed = $(git -C rename-initial symbolic-ref --short HEAD) &&
+	echo renamed >expect &&
+	git -C rename-initial symbolic-ref --short HEAD >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+
 	git -C rename-initial branch -m renamed again &&
-	test again = $(git -C rename-initial symbolic-ref --short HEAD)
+	echo again >expect &&
+	git -C rename-initial symbolic-ref --short HEAD >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_done
diff --git a/t/t0002-gitfile.sh b/t/t0002-gitfile.sh
index 26eaca095a2..e013d38f485 100755
--- a/t/t0002-gitfile.sh
+++ b/t/t0002-gitfile.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ test_expect_success 'bad setup: invalid .git file path' '
 
 test_expect_success 'final setup + check rev-parse --git-dir' '
 	echo "gitdir: $REAL" >.git &&
-	test "$REAL" = "$(git rev-parse --git-dir)"
+	echo "$REAL" >expect &&
+	git rev-parse --git-dir >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'check hash-object' '
diff --git a/t/t0060-path-utils.sh b/t/t0060-path-utils.sh
index dcc78fb6a7b..0afa3d0d312 100755
--- a/t/t0060-path-utils.sh
+++ b/t/t0060-path-utils.sh
@@ -10,20 +10,27 @@ TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 
 norm_path() {
 	expected=$(test-tool path-utils print_path "$2")
-	test_expect_success $3 "normalize path: $1 => $2" \
-	"test \"\$(test-tool path-utils normalize_path_copy '$1')\" = '$expected'"
+	test_expect_success $3 "normalize path: $1 => $2" "
+		echo '$expected' >expect &&
+		test-tool path-utils normalize_path_copy '$1' >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	"
 }
 
 relative_path() {
 	expected=$(test-tool path-utils print_path "$3")
-	test_expect_success $4 "relative path: $1 $2 => $3" \
-	"test \"\$(test-tool path-utils relative_path '$1' '$2')\" = '$expected'"
+	test_expect_success $4 "relative path: $1 $2 => $3" "
+		echo '$expected' >expect &&
+		test-tool path-utils relative_path '$1' '$2' >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	"
 }
 
 test_submodule_relative_url() {
 	test_expect_success "test_submodule_relative_url: $1 $2 $3 => $4" "
-		actual=\$(test-tool submodule resolve-relative-url '$1' '$2' '$3') &&
-		test \"\$actual\" = '$4'
+		echo '$4' >expect &&
+		test-tool submodule resolve-relative-url '$1' '$2' '$3' >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
 	"
 }
 
@@ -64,9 +71,11 @@ ancestor() {
 		expected=$(($expected-$rootslash+$rootoff))
 		;;
 	esac
-	test_expect_success $4 "longest ancestor: $1 $2 => $expected" \
-	"actual=\$(test-tool path-utils longest_ancestor_length '$1' '$2') &&
-	 test \"\$actual\" = '$expected'"
+	test_expect_success $4 "longest ancestor: $1 $2 => $expected" "
+		echo '$expected' >expect &&
+		test-tool path-utils longest_ancestor_length '$1' '$2' >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	"
 }
 
 # Some absolute path tests should be skipped on Windows due to path mangling
@@ -166,8 +175,10 @@ ancestor D:/Users/me C:/ -1 MINGW
 ancestor //server/share/my-directory //server/share/ 14 MINGW
 
 test_expect_success 'strip_path_suffix' '
-	test c:/msysgit = $(test-tool path-utils strip_path_suffix \
-		c:/msysgit/libexec//git-core libexec/git-core)
+	echo c:/msysgit >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils strip_path_suffix \
+		c:/msysgit/libexec//git-core libexec/git-core >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'absolute path rejects the empty string' '
@@ -188,35 +199,61 @@ test_expect_success 'real path rejects the empty string' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success POSIX 'real path works on absolute paths 1' '
+	echo / >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path "/" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+
 	nopath="hopefully-absent-path" &&
-	test "/" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path "/")" &&
-	test "/$nopath" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path "/$nopath")"
+	echo "/$nopath" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path "/$nopath" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'real path works on absolute paths 2' '
-	nopath="hopefully-absent-path" &&
 	# Find an existing top-level directory for the remaining tests:
 	d=$(pwd -P | sed -e "s|^\([^/]*/[^/]*\)/.*|\1|") &&
-	test "$d" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path "$d")" &&
-	test "$d/$nopath" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path "$d/$nopath")"
+	echo "$d" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path "$d" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+
+	nopath="hopefully-absent-path" &&
+	echo "$d/$nopath" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path "$d/$nopath" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success POSIX 'real path removes extra leading slashes' '
+	echo "/" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path "///" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+
 	nopath="hopefully-absent-path" &&
-	test "/" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path "///")" &&
-	test "/$nopath" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path "///$nopath")" &&
+	echo "/$nopath" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path "///$nopath" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+
 	# Find an existing top-level directory for the remaining tests:
 	d=$(pwd -P | sed -e "s|^\([^/]*/[^/]*\)/.*|\1|") &&
-	test "$d" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path "//$d")" &&
-	test "$d/$nopath" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path "//$d/$nopath")"
+	echo "$d" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path "//$d" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+
+	echo "$d/$nopath" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path "//$d/$nopath" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'real path removes other extra slashes' '
-	nopath="hopefully-absent-path" &&
 	# Find an existing top-level directory for the remaining tests:
 	d=$(pwd -P | sed -e "s|^\([^/]*/[^/]*\)/.*|\1|") &&
-	test "$d" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path "$d///")" &&
-	test "$d/$nopath" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path "$d///$nopath")"
+	echo "$d" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path "$d///" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+
+	nopath="hopefully-absent-path" &&
+	echo "$d/$nopath" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path "$d///$nopath" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'real path works on symlinks' '
@@ -227,19 +264,29 @@ test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'real path works on symlinks' '
 	mkdir third &&
 	dir="$(cd .git && pwd -P)" &&
 	dir2=third/../second/other/.git &&
-	test "$dir" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path $dir2)" &&
+	echo "$dir" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path $dir2 >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	file="$dir"/index &&
-	test "$file" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path $dir2/index)" &&
+	echo "$file" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path $dir2/index >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	basename=blub &&
-	test "$dir/$basename" = "$(cd .git && test-tool path-utils real_path "$basename")" &&
+	echo "$dir/$basename" >expect &&
+	test-tool -C .git path-utils real_path "$basename" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	ln -s ../first/file .git/syml &&
 	sym="$(cd first && pwd -P)"/file &&
-	test "$sym" = "$(test-tool path-utils real_path "$dir2/syml")"
+	echo "$sym" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils real_path "$dir2/syml" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'prefix_path works with absolute paths to work tree symlinks' '
 	ln -s target symlink &&
-	test "$(test-tool path-utils prefix_path prefix "$(pwd)/symlink")" = "symlink"
+	echo "symlink" >expect &&
+	test-tool path-utils prefix_path prefix "$(pwd)/symlink" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'prefix_path works with only absolute path to work tree' '
diff --git a/t/t0100-previous.sh b/t/t0100-previous.sh
index a16cc3d2983..70a3223f219 100755
--- a/t/t0100-previous.sh
+++ b/t/t0100-previous.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ test_expect_success 'branch -d @{-1}' '
 	test_commit A &&
 	git checkout -b junk &&
 	git checkout - &&
-	test "$(git symbolic-ref HEAD)" = refs/heads/main &&
+	echo refs/heads/main >expect &&
+	git symbolic-ref HEAD >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	git branch -d @{-1} &&
 	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify refs/heads/junk
 '
@@ -21,7 +23,9 @@ test_expect_success 'branch -d @{-12} when there is not enough switches yet' '
 	git reflog expire --expire=now &&
 	git checkout -b junk2 &&
 	git checkout - &&
-	test "$(git symbolic-ref HEAD)" = refs/heads/main &&
+	echo refs/heads/main >expect &&
+	git symbolic-ref HEAD >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	test_must_fail git branch -d @{-12} &&
 	git rev-parse --verify refs/heads/main
 '
diff --git a/t/t1504-ceiling-dirs.sh b/t/t1504-ceiling-dirs.sh
index 0fafcf9dde3..c1679e31d8a 100755
--- a/t/t1504-ceiling-dirs.sh
+++ b/t/t1504-ceiling-dirs.sh
@@ -6,8 +6,12 @@ TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 test_prefix() {
-	test_expect_success "$1" \
-	"test '$2' = \"\$(git rev-parse --show-prefix)\""
+	local expect="$2" &&
+	test_expect_success "$1: git rev-parse --show-prefix is '$2'" '
+		echo "$expect" >expect &&
+		git rev-parse --show-prefix >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	'
 }
 
 test_fail() {
diff --git a/t/t2005-checkout-index-symlinks.sh b/t/t2005-checkout-index-symlinks.sh
index 112682a45a1..67d18cfa104 100755
--- a/t/t2005-checkout-index-symlinks.sh
+++ b/t/t2005-checkout-index-symlinks.sh
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@ test_expect_success \
 git checkout-index symlink &&
 test -f symlink'
 
-test_expect_success \
-'the file must be the blob we added during the setup' '
-test "$(git hash-object -t blob symlink)" = $l'
+test_expect_success 'the file must be the blob we added during the setup' '
+	echo "$l" >expect &&
+	git hash-object -t blob symlink >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
 
 test_done
diff --git a/t/t5522-pull-symlink.sh b/t/t5522-pull-symlink.sh
index bcff460d0a2..9fb73a8c3eb 100755
--- a/t/t5522-pull-symlink.sh
+++ b/t/t5522-pull-symlink.sh
@@ -78,7 +78,9 @@ test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'pushing from symlinked subdir' '
 		git commit -m push ./file &&
 		git push
 	) &&
-	test push = $(git show HEAD:subdir/file)
+	echo push >expect &&
+	git show HEAD:subdir/file >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_done
diff --git a/t/t7402-submodule-rebase.sh b/t/t7402-submodule-rebase.sh
index 1927a862839..c74798e8d24 100755
--- a/t/t7402-submodule-rebase.sh
+++ b/t/t7402-submodule-rebase.sh
@@ -55,12 +55,15 @@ chmod a+x fake-editor.sh
 
 test_expect_success 'interactive rebase with a dirty submodule' '
 
-	test submodule = $(git diff --name-only) &&
+	echo submodule >expect &&
+	git diff --name-only >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	HEAD=$(git rev-parse HEAD) &&
 	GIT_EDITOR="\"$(pwd)/fake-editor.sh\"" EDITOR_TEXT="pick $HEAD" \
 		git rebase -i HEAD^ &&
-	test submodule = $(git diff --name-only)
-
+	echo submodule >expect &&
+	git diff --name-only >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'rebase with dirty file and submodule fails' '
diff --git a/t/t7504-commit-msg-hook.sh b/t/t7504-commit-msg-hook.sh
index 07ca46fb0d5..d1255228d5f 100755
--- a/t/t7504-commit-msg-hook.sh
+++ b/t/t7504-commit-msg-hook.sh
@@ -102,7 +102,9 @@ test_expect_success 'setup: commit-msg hook that always fails' '
 '
 
 commit_msg_is () {
-	test "$(git log --pretty=format:%s%b -1)" = "$1"
+	printf "%s" "$1" >expect &&
+	git log --pretty=format:%s%b -1 >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 }
 
 test_expect_success 'with failing hook' '
diff --git a/t/t7810-grep.sh b/t/t7810-grep.sh
index 8eded6ab274..39d6d713ecb 100755
--- a/t/t7810-grep.sh
+++ b/t/t7810-grep.sh
@@ -1001,7 +1001,9 @@ test_expect_success 'log --committer does not search in timestamp' '
 test_expect_success 'grep with CE_VALID file' '
 	git update-index --assume-unchanged t/t &&
 	rm t/t &&
-	test "$(git grep test)" = "t/t:test" &&
+	echo "t/t:test" >expect &&
+	git grep test >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	git update-index --no-assume-unchanged t/t &&
 	git checkout t/t
 '
