diff --git a/t/t0031-reftable.sh b/t/t0031-reftable.sh
index 58c7d5d4bc..ba0738e515 100755
--- a/t/t0031-reftable.sh
+++ b/t/t0031-reftable.sh
@@ -9,23 +9,27 @@ test_description='reftable basics'
 
 INVALID_SHA1=aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
 
+git_init () {
+	git init -b primary "$@"
+}
+
 initialize ()  {
 	rm -rf .git &&
-	git init --ref-storage=reftable &&
+	git_init --ref-storage=reftable &&
 	mv .git/hooks .git/hooks-disabled
 }
 
 test_expect_success 'SHA256 support, env' '
 	rm -rf .git &&
 	GIT_DEFAULT_HASH=sha256 && export GIT_DEFAULT_HASH &&
-	git init --ref-storage=reftable &&
+	git_init --ref-storage=reftable &&
 	mv .git/hooks .git/hooks-disabled &&
 	test_commit file
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'SHA256 support, option' '
 	rm -rf .git &&
-	git init --ref-storage=reftable --object-format=sha256 &&
+	git_init --ref-storage=reftable --object-format=sha256 &&
 	mv .git/hooks .git/hooks-disabled &&
 	test_commit file
 '
@@ -34,13 +38,13 @@ test_expect_success 'delete ref' '
 	initialize &&
 	test_commit file &&
 	SHA=$(git show-ref -s --verify HEAD) &&
-	test_write_lines "$SHA refs/heads/master" "$SHA refs/tags/file" >expect &&
-	git show-ref > actual &&
+	test_write_lines "$SHA refs/heads/primary" "$SHA refs/tags/file" >expect &&
+	git show-ref >actual &&
 	! git update-ref -d refs/tags/file $INVALID_SHA1 &&
 	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	git update-ref -d refs/tags/file $SHA  &&
-	test_write_lines "$SHA refs/heads/master" >expect &&
-	git show-ref > actual &&
+	test_write_lines "$SHA refs/heads/primary" >expect &&
+	git show-ref >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
@@ -54,9 +58,9 @@ test_expect_success 'clone calls transaction_initial_commit' '
 test_expect_success 'basic operation of reftable storage: commit, show-ref' '
 	initialize &&
 	test_commit file &&
-	test_write_lines refs/heads/master refs/tags/file >expect &&
+	test_write_lines refs/heads/primary refs/tags/file >expect &&
 	git show-ref &&
-	git show-ref | cut -f2 -d" " > actual &&
+	git show-ref | cut -f2 -d" " >actual &&
 	test_cmp actual expect
 '
 
@@ -70,12 +74,12 @@ test_expect_success 'reflog, repack' '
 	git pack-refs &&
 	ls -1 .git/reftable >table-files &&
 	test_line_count = 2 table-files &&
-	git reflog refs/heads/master >output &&
+	git reflog refs/heads/primary >output &&
 	test_line_count = 10 output &&
 	grep "commit (initial): number 1" output &&
 	grep "commit: number 10" output &&
 	git gc &&
-	git reflog refs/heads/master >output &&
+	git reflog refs/heads/primary >output &&
 	test_line_count = 0 output
 '
 
@@ -86,8 +90,8 @@ test_expect_success 'branch switch in reflog output' '
 	test_commit file2 &&
 	git checkout -b branch2 &&
 	git switch - &&
-	git rev-parse --symbolic-full-name HEAD > actual &&
-	echo refs/heads/branch1 > expect &&
+	git rev-parse --symbolic-full-name HEAD >actual &&
+	echo refs/heads/branch1 >expect &&
 	test_cmp actual expect
 '
 
@@ -102,7 +106,7 @@ test_expect_success 'peeled tags are stored' '
 	test_commit file &&
 	git tag -m "annotated tag" test_tag HEAD &&
 	{
-		print_ref "refs/heads/master" &&
+		print_ref "refs/heads/primary" &&
 		print_ref "refs/tags/file" &&
 		print_ref "refs/tags/test_tag" &&
 		print_ref "refs/tags/test_tag^{}"
@@ -114,32 +118,32 @@ test_expect_success 'peeled tags are stored' '
 test_expect_success 'show-ref works on fresh repo' '
 	initialize &&
 	rm -rf .git &&
-	git init --ref-storage=reftable &&
+	git_init --ref-storage=reftable &&
 	>expect &&
-	! git show-ref > actual &&
+	! git show-ref >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'checkout unborn branch' '
 	initialize &&
-	git checkout -b master
+	git checkout -b primary
 '
 
 
 test_expect_success 'dir/file conflict' '
 	initialize &&
 	test_commit file &&
-	! git branch master/forbidden
+	! git branch primary/forbidden
 '
 
 
 test_expect_success 'do not clobber existing repo' '
 	rm -rf .git &&
-	git init --ref-storage=files &&
-	cat .git/HEAD > expect &&
+	git_init --ref-storage=files &&
+	cat .git/HEAD >expect &&
 	test_commit file &&
-	(git init --ref-storage=reftable || true) &&
-	cat .git/HEAD > actual &&
+	(git_init --ref-storage=reftable || true) &&
+	cat .git/HEAD >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
@@ -168,7 +172,7 @@ test_expect_success 'rebase' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'worktrees' '
-	git init --ref-storage=reftable start &&
+	git_init --ref-storage=reftable start &&
 	(cd start && test_commit file1 && git checkout -b branch1 &&
 	git checkout -b branch2 &&
 	git worktree add  ../wt
@@ -182,13 +186,13 @@ test_expect_success 'worktrees 2' '
 	initialize &&
 	test_commit file1 &&
 	mkdir existing_empty &&
-	git worktree add --detach existing_empty master
+	git worktree add --detach existing_empty primary
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'FETCH_HEAD' '
 	initialize &&
 	test_commit one &&
-	(git init sub && cd sub && test_commit two) &&
+	(git_init sub && cd sub && test_commit two) &&
 	git --git-dir sub/.git rev-parse HEAD >expect &&
 	git fetch sub &&
 	git checkout FETCH_HEAD &&
