diff --git a/t/t6101-rev-parse-parents.sh b/t/t6101-rev-parse-parents.sh
index e673c25e94..7ea14ced31 100755
--- a/t/t6101-rev-parse-parents.sh
+++ b/t/t6101-rev-parse-parents.sh
@@ -6,39 +6,86 @@
 test_description='Test git rev-parse with different parent options'
 
 . ./test-lib.sh
-. "$TEST_DIRECTORY"/lib-t6000.sh # t6xxx specific functions
 
-date >path0
-git update-index --add path0
-save_tag tree git write-tree
-hide_error save_tag start unique_commit "start" tree
-save_tag second unique_commit "second" tree -p start
-hide_error save_tag start2 unique_commit "start2" tree
-save_tag two_parents unique_commit "next" tree -p second -p start2
-save_tag final unique_commit "final" tree -p two_parents
+test_cmp_rev_output () {
+	git rev-parse --verify "$1" >expect &&
+	eval "$2" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+}
 
-test_expect_success 'start is valid' 'git rev-parse start | grep "^[0-9a-f]\{40\}$"'
-test_expect_success 'start^0' "test $(cat .git/refs/tags/start) = $(git rev-parse start^0)"
-test_expect_success 'start^1 not valid' "if git rev-parse --verify start^1; then false; else :; fi"
-test_expect_success 'second^1 = second^' "test $(git rev-parse second^1) = $(git rev-parse second^)"
-test_expect_success 'final^1^1^1' "test $(git rev-parse start) = $(git rev-parse final^1^1^1)"
-test_expect_success 'final^1^1^1 = final^^^' "test $(git rev-parse final^1^1^1) = $(git rev-parse final^^^)"
-test_expect_success 'final^1^2' "test $(git rev-parse start2) = $(git rev-parse final^1^2)"
-test_expect_success 'final^1^2 != final^1^1' "test $(git rev-parse final^1^2) != $(git rev-parse final^1^1)"
-test_expect_success 'final^1^3 not valid' "if git rev-parse --verify final^1^3; then false; else :; fi"
-test_expect_success '--verify start2^1' 'test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify start2^1'
-test_expect_success '--verify start2^0' 'git rev-parse --verify start2^0'
-test_expect_success 'final^1^@ = final^1^1 final^1^2' "test \"$(git rev-parse final^1^@)\" = \"$(git rev-parse final^1^1 final^1^2)\""
-test_expect_success 'final^1^! = final^1 ^final^1^1 ^final^1^2' "test \"$(git rev-parse final^1^\!)\" = \"$(git rev-parse final^1 ^final^1^1 ^final^1^2)\""
+test_expect_success 'setup' '
+	test_commit start &&
+	test_commit second &&
+	git checkout --orphan tmp &&
+	test_commit start2 &&
+	git checkout master &&
+	git merge -m next start2 &&
+	test_commit final
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'start is valid' '
+	git rev-parse start | grep "^[0-9a-f]\{40\}$"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'start^0' '
+	test_cmp_rev_output tags/start "git rev-parse start^0"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'start^1 not valid' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify start^1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'second^1 = second^' '
+	test_cmp_rev_output second^ "git rev-parse second^1"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'final^1^1^1' '
+	test_cmp_rev_output start "git rev-parse final^1^1^1"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'final^1^1^1 = final^^^' '
+	test_cmp_rev_output final^^^ "git rev-parse final^1^1^1"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'final^1^2' '
+	test_cmp_rev_output start2 "git rev-parse final^1^2"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'final^1^2 != final^1^1' '
+	test $(git rev-parse final^1^2) != $(git rev-parse final^1^1)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'final^1^3 not valid' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify final^1^3
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--verify start2^1' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify start2^1
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--verify start2^0' '
+	git rev-parse --verify start2^0
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'final^1^@ = final^1^1 final^1^2' '
+	git rev-parse final^1^1 final^1^2 >expect &&
+	git rev-parse final^1^@ >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'final^1^! = final^1 ^final^1^1 ^final^1^2' '
+	git rev-parse final^1 ^final^1^1 ^final^1^2 >expect &&
+	git rev-parse final^1^! >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'repack for next test' '
+	git repack -a -d
+'
 
-test_expect_success 'repack for next test' 'git repack -a -d'
 test_expect_success 'short SHA-1 works' '
-	start=`git rev-parse --verify start` &&
-	echo $start &&
-	abbrv=`echo $start | sed s/.\$//` &&
-	echo $abbrv &&
-	abbrv=`git rev-parse --verify $abbrv` &&
-	echo $abbrv &&
-	test $start = $abbrv'
+	start=$(git rev-parse --verify start) &&
+	test_cmp_rev_output start "git rev-parse ${start%?}"
+'
 
 test_done