diff --git a/t/t1002-read-tree-m-u-2way.sh b/t/t1002-read-tree-m-u-2way.sh
index a847709a1354a824c90a13d2c9e9ab6d6bc69b6c..fed877b20f428a1987357ad1f66dc678f5c7e2eb 100755
--- a/t/t1002-read-tree-m-u-2way.sh
+++ b/t/t1002-read-tree-m-u-2way.sh
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ compare_change () {
 }
 
 check_cache_at () {
-	clean_if_empty=`git diff-files -- "$1"`
+	clean_if_empty=$(git diff-files -- "$1")
 	case "$clean_if_empty" in
 	'')  echo "$1: clean" ;;
 	?*)  echo "$1: dirty" ;;
@@ -41,14 +41,14 @@ test_expect_success \
      echo bozbar >bozbar &&
      echo rezrov >rezrov &&
      git update-index --add nitfol bozbar rezrov &&
-     treeH=`git write-tree` &&
+     treeH=$(git write-tree) &&
      echo treeH $treeH &&
      git ls-tree $treeH &&
 
      echo gnusto >bozbar &&
      git update-index --add frotz bozbar --force-remove rezrov &&
      git ls-files --stage >M.out &&
-     treeM=`git write-tree` &&
+     treeM=$(git write-tree) &&
      echo treeM $treeM &&
      git ls-tree $treeM &&
      sum bozbar frotz nitfol >M.sum &&
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ test_expect_success \
     'rm -f .git/index &&
      echo DF >DF &&
      git update-index --add DF &&
-     treeDF=`git write-tree` &&
+     treeDF=$(git write-tree) &&
      echo treeDF $treeDF &&
      git ls-tree $treeDF &&
 
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ test_expect_success \
      mkdir DF &&
      echo DF/DF >DF/DF &&
      git update-index --add --remove DF DF/DF &&
-     treeDFDF=`git write-tree` &&
+     treeDFDF=$(git write-tree) &&
      echo treeDFDF $treeDFDF &&
      git ls-tree $treeDFDF &&
      git ls-files --stage >DFDF.out'