diff --git a/t/t3005-ls-files-relative.sh b/t/t3005-ls-files-relative.sh
index 6ba8b589cd..fbfa210a50 100755
--- a/t/t3005-ls-files-relative.sh
+++ b/t/t3005-ls-files-relative.sh
@@ -39,10 +39,7 @@ test_expect_success 'ls-files with mixed levels' '
 test_expect_success 'ls-files -c' '
 	(
 		cd top/sub &&
-		for f in ../y*
-		do
-			echo "error: pathspec $SQ$f$SQ did not match any file(s) known to git"
-		done >expect.err &&
+		printf "error: pathspec $SQ%s$SQ did not match any file(s) known to git\n" ../y* >expect.err &&
 		echo "Did you forget to ${SQ}git add${SQ}?" >>expect.err &&
 		ls ../x* >expect.out &&
 		test_must_fail git ls-files -c --error-unmatch ../[xy]* >actual.out 2>actual.err &&
@@ -54,10 +51,7 @@ test_expect_success 'ls-files -c' '
 test_expect_success 'ls-files -o' '
 	(
 		cd top/sub &&
-		for f in ../x*
-		do
-			echo "error: pathspec $SQ$f$SQ did not match any file(s) known to git"
-		done >expect.err &&
+		printf "error: pathspec $SQ%s$SQ did not match any file(s) known to git\n" ../x* >expect.err &&
 		echo "Did you forget to ${SQ}git add${SQ}?" >>expect.err &&
 		ls ../y* >expect.out &&
 		test_must_fail git ls-files -o --error-unmatch ../[xy]* >actual.out 2>actual.err &&
diff --git a/t/t3600-rm.sh b/t/t3600-rm.sh
index ed3952eb98..e74a318ac3 100755
--- a/t/t3600-rm.sh
+++ b/t/t3600-rm.sh
@@ -274,10 +274,7 @@ test_expect_success 'Resolving by removal is not a warning-worthy event' '
 	git reset -q --hard &&
 	test_when_finished "rm -f .git/index.lock msg && git reset -q --hard" &&
 	blob=$(echo blob | git hash-object -w --stdin) &&
-	for stage in 1 2 3
-	do
-		echo "100644 $blob $stage	blob"
-	done | git update-index --index-info &&
+	printf "100644 $blob %d\tblob\n" 1 2 3 | git update-index --index-info &&
 	git rm blob >msg 2>&1 &&
 	test_i18ngrep ! "needs merge" msg &&
 	test_must_fail git ls-files -s --error-unmatch blob
diff --git a/t/t4025-hunk-header.sh b/t/t4025-hunk-header.sh
index 6356961de4..5397cb7d42 100755
--- a/t/t4025-hunk-header.sh
+++ b/t/t4025-hunk-header.sh
@@ -14,15 +14,9 @@ test_expect_success setup '
 
 	(
 		echo "A $NS" &&
-		for c in B C D E F G H I J K
-		do
-			echo "  $c"
-		done &&
+		printf "  %s\n" B C D E F G H I J K &&
 		echo "L  $NS" &&
-		for c in M N O P Q R S T U V
-		do
-			echo "  $c"
-		done
+		printf "  %s\n" M N O P Q R S T U V
 	) >file &&
 	git add file &&
 
diff --git a/t/t4125-apply-ws-fuzz.sh b/t/t4125-apply-ws-fuzz.sh
index 9671de7999..090987c89b 100755
--- a/t/t4125-apply-ws-fuzz.sh
+++ b/t/t4125-apply-ws-fuzz.sh
@@ -10,10 +10,7 @@ test_expect_success setup '
 	git add file &&
 
 	# file-0 is full of whitespace breakages
-	for l in a bb c d eeee f ggg h
-	do
-		echo "$l "
-	done >file-0 &&
+	printf "%s \n" a bb c d eeee f ggg h >file-0 &&
 
 	# patch-0 creates a whitespace broken file
 	cat file-0 >file &&
diff --git a/t/t6416-recursive-corner-cases.sh b/t/t6416-recursive-corner-cases.sh
index 84f5082366..690c8482b1 100755
--- a/t/t6416-recursive-corner-cases.sh
+++ b/t/t6416-recursive-corner-cases.sh
@@ -24,14 +24,8 @@ test_expect_success 'setup basic criss-cross + rename with no modifications' '
 		cd basic-rename &&
 
 		ten="0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9" &&
-		for i in $ten
-		do
-			echo line $i in a sample file
-		done >one &&
-		for i in $ten
-		do
-			echo line $i in another sample file
-		done >two &&
+		printf "line %d in a sample file\n" $ten >one &&
+		printf "line %d in another sample file\n" $ten >two &&
 		git add one two &&
 		test_tick && git commit -m initial &&
 
@@ -96,14 +90,8 @@ test_expect_success 'setup criss-cross + rename merges with basic modification'
 		cd rename-modify &&
 
 		ten="0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9" &&
-		for i in $ten
-		do
-			echo line $i in a sample file
-		done >one &&
-		for i in $ten
-		do
-			echo line $i in another sample file
-		done >two &&
+		printf "line %d in a sample file\n" $ten >one &&
+		printf "line %d in another sample file\n" $ten >two &&
 		git add one two &&
 		test_tick && git commit -m initial &&
 
@@ -1588,10 +1576,7 @@ test_expect_success 'setup nested conflicts' '
 		cd nested_conflicts &&
 
 		# Create some related files now
-		for i in $(test_seq 1 10)
-		do
-			echo Random base content line $i
-		done >initial &&
+		printf "Random base content line %d\n" $(test_seq 1 10) >initial &&
 
 		cp initial b_L1 &&
 		cp initial b_R1 &&
@@ -1777,10 +1762,7 @@ test_expect_success 'setup virtual merge base with nested conflicts' '
 		cd virtual_merge_base_has_nested_conflicts &&
 
 		# Create some related files now
-		for i in $(test_seq 1 10)
-		do
-			echo Random base content line $i
-		done >content &&
+		printf "Random base content line %d\n" $(test_seq 1 10) >content &&
 
 		# Setup original commit
 		git add content &&
diff --git a/t/t7110-reset-merge.sh b/t/t7110-reset-merge.sh
index a82a07a04a..3d62e10b53 100755
--- a/t/t7110-reset-merge.sh
+++ b/t/t7110-reset-merge.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ test_description='Tests for "git reset" with "--merge" and "--keep" options'
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 test_expect_success setup '
-    for i in 1 2 3; do echo line $i; done >file1 &&
+    printf "line %d\n" 1 2 3 >file1 &&
     cat file1 >file2 &&
     git add file1 file2 &&
     test_tick &&
diff --git a/t/t9400-git-cvsserver-server.sh b/t/t9400-git-cvsserver-server.sh
index ca50574895..567d7f2bb8 100755
--- a/t/t9400-git-cvsserver-server.sh
+++ b/t/t9400-git-cvsserver-server.sh
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ test_expect_success 'cvs annotate' '
     cd cvswork &&
     GIT_CONFIG="$git_config" cvs annotate merge >../out &&
     sed -e "s/ .*//" ../out >../actual &&
-    for i in 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 4; do echo 1.$i; done >../expect &&
+    printf "1.%d\n" 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 4 >../expect &&
     test_cmp ../expect ../actual
 '