diff --git a/t/t5528-push-default.sh b/t/t5528-push-default.sh
index c334c51a07..99e5519263 100755
--- a/t/t5528-push-default.sh
+++ b/t/t5528-push-default.sh
@@ -13,16 +13,36 @@ test_expect_success 'setup bare remotes' '
 	git push parent2 HEAD
 '
 
+# $1 = local revision
+# $2 = remote revision (tested to be equal to the local one)
+check_pushed_commit () {
+	git log -1 --format='%h %s' "$1" >expect &&
+	git --git-dir=repo1 log -1 --format='%h %s' "$2" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+}
+
+# $1 = push.default value
+# $2 = expected target branch for the push
+test_push_success () {
+	git -c push.default="$1" push &&
+	check_pushed_commit HEAD "$2"
+}
+
+# $1 = push.default value
+# check that push fails and does not modify any remote branch
+test_push_failure () {
+	git --git-dir=repo1 log --no-walk --format='%h %s' --all >expect &&
+	test_must_fail git -c push.default="$1" push &&
+	git --git-dir=repo1 log --no-walk --format='%h %s' --all >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+}
+
 test_expect_success '"upstream" pushes to configured upstream' '
 	git checkout master &&
 	test_config branch.master.remote parent1 &&
 	test_config branch.master.merge refs/heads/foo &&
-	test_config push.default upstream &&
 	test_commit two &&
-	git push &&
-	echo two >expect &&
-	git --git-dir=repo1 log -1 --format=%s foo >actual &&
-	test_cmp expect actual
+	test_push_success upstream foo
 '
 
 test_expect_success '"upstream" does not push on unconfigured remote' '
@@ -30,7 +50,7 @@ test_expect_success '"upstream" does not push on unconfigured remote' '
 	test_unconfig branch.master.remote &&
 	test_config push.default upstream &&
 	test_commit three &&
-	test_must_fail git push
+	test_push_failure upstream
 '
 
 test_expect_success '"upstream" does not push on unconfigured branch' '
@@ -39,7 +59,7 @@ test_expect_success '"upstream" does not push on unconfigured branch' '
 	test_unconfig branch.master.merge &&
 	test_config push.default upstream
 	test_commit four &&
-	test_must_fail git push
+	test_push_failure upstream
 '
 
 test_expect_success '"upstream" does not push when remotes do not match' '