diff --git a/t/test-lib.sh b/t/test-lib.sh
index df25f17929..b16a9b98f4 100644
--- a/t/test-lib.sh
+++ b/t/test-lib.sh
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ test_run_ () {
 	if test "$verbose" = "t" && test -n "$HARNESS_ACTIVE"; then
 		echo ""
 	fi
-	return 0
+	return "$eval_ret"
 }
 
 test_skip () {
@@ -502,8 +502,7 @@ test_expect_failure () {
 	if ! test_skip "$@"
 	then
 		say >&3 "checking known breakage: $2"
-		test_run_ "$2" expecting_failure
-		if [ "$?" = 0 -a "$eval_ret" = 0 ]
+		if test_run_ "$2" expecting_failure
 		then
 			test_known_broken_ok_ "$1"
 		else
@@ -521,8 +520,7 @@ test_expect_success () {
 	if ! test_skip "$@"
 	then
 		say >&3 "expecting success: $2"
-		test_run_ "$2"
-		if [ "$?" = 0 -a "$eval_ret" = 0 ]
+		if test_run_ "$2"
 		then
 			test_ok_ "$1"
 		else