diff --git a/t/0-me-first.t b/t/0-me-first.t
index 22102ef..47784ae 100755
--- a/t/0-me-first.t
+++ b/t/0-me-first.t
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ my $rb = `gitolite query-rc -n GL_REPO_BASE`;
 # initial smoke tests
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-try "plan 73";
+try "plan 71";
 
 # basic push admin repo
 confreset;confadd '
@@ -33,12 +33,11 @@ try "
     cd ..
     glt clone u1 file://aa u1aa;    ok;     /Cloning into 'u1aa'.../
                                             /warning: You appear to have cloned an empty repository/
-    ls -ald --time-style=long-iso u1aa;
-                                    ok;     /drwxr-xr-x 3 $ENV{USER} $ENV{USER} \\d+ 201.-..-.. ..:.. u1aa/
+    [ -d u1aa ];                    ok
 
     # basic clone deny
     glt clone u4 file://aa u4aa;    !ok;    /R any aa u4 DENIED by fallthru/
-    ls -ald u4aa;                   !ok;    /ls: cannot access u4aa: No such file or directory/
+    [ -d u4aa ];                    !ok
 
     # basic push
     cd u1aa;                        ok
diff --git a/t/basic.t b/t/basic.t
index 3e8c3aa..4626f96 100755
--- a/t/basic.t
+++ b/t/basic.t
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use Gitolite::Test;
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 try "
-    plan 218
+    plan 217
     CHECK_SETUP
 
     # subtest 1
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ try "
                                         /fatal: The remote end hung up unexpectedly/
     CLONE u2 t1;                ok;     gsh
                                         /warning: You appear to have cloned an empty repository./
-    ls -al t1;                  ok;     /$ENV{USER}.*$ENV{USER}.*\.git/
+    [ -d t1/.git ];             ok
     cd t1;                      ok;
 
     # push
diff --git a/t/merge-check.t b/t/merge-check.t
index 443a848..fdea318 100755
--- a/t/merge-check.t
+++ b/t/merge-check.t
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use Gitolite::Test;
 # merge check -- the M flag
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-try "plan 57";
+try "plan 55";
 
 confreset;confadd '
     repo  foo
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ try "ADMIN_PUSH set1; !/FATAL/" or die text();
 
 try "
     cd ..
-    ls -al foo;         !ok;    /cannot access foo: No such file or directory/
+    [ -d foo ];         !ok
     glt clone u1 file:///foo
                         ok;     /Cloning into/
                                 /You appear to have cloned an empty/
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ try "
 
 try "
     cd foo;             ok
-    ls -Al;             ok;     /\.git/
+    [ -d .git ];        ok
     test-commit aa;     ok;     /1 file changed, 1 insertion/
     tag start;          ok
     glt push u1 origin master
diff --git a/t/vrefs-1.t b/t/vrefs-1.t
index bd5086b..eea4b24 100755
--- a/t/vrefs-1.t
+++ b/t/vrefs-1.t
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use Gitolite::Test;
 # VREFs - part 1
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-try "plan 90";
+try "plan 88";
 
 put "conf/gitolite.conf", "
     repo gitolite-admin
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ put "conf/gitolite.conf", "
 try "
     ADMIN_PUSH vr1a
     cd ..
-    ls -al foo;                 !ok;    /cannot access foo: No such file or directory/
+    [ -d foo ];                 !ok
     CLONE u1 foo;               ok;     /Cloning into/
                                         /You appear to have cloned an empty/
     cd foo;                     ok
-    ls -Al;                     ok;     /\.git/
+    [ -d .git ];                ok
 
     # VREF not called for u1
     tc a1 a2 a3 a4 a5;          ok;     /aaf9e8e/
diff --git a/t/vrefs-2.t b/t/vrefs-2.t
index 6c53341..40db308 100755
--- a/t/vrefs-2.t
+++ b/t/vrefs-2.t
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use Gitolite::Test;
 # VREFs - part 2
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-try "plan 74";
+try "plan 72";
 
 put "../gitolite-admin/conf/gitolite.conf", "
     \@gfoo = foo
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ try "
     ADMIN_PUSH vr2a
     cd ..
     # setup
-    ls -al foo;                 !ok;    /cannot access foo: No such file or directory/
+    [ -d foo ];                 !ok
     CLONE u1 foo;               ok;     /Cloning into/
                                         /You appear to have cloned an empty/
     cd foo;                     ok
-    ls -Al;                     ok;     /\.git/
+    [ -d .git ];                ok
 
     # u1 push 15 new files
     tc a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o