diff --git a/t/test-lib.sh b/t/test-lib.sh
index 1531c241c08f0fad1a8e0789dbed2675b0fe5e56..3c7cb1d774cadaa4d625e2d53ba122db4108cb0e 100644
--- a/t/test-lib.sh
+++ b/t/test-lib.sh
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ error "Test script did not set test_description."
 
 if test "$help" = "t"
 then
-	echo "$test_description"
+	printf '%s\n' "$test_description"
 	exit 0
 fi
 
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ test_failure_ () {
 	test_failure=$(($test_failure + 1))
 	say_color error "not ok $test_count - $1"
 	shift
-	echo "$@" | sed -e 's/^/#	/'
+	printf '%s\n' "$*" | sed -e 's/^/#	/'
 	test "$immediate" = "" || { GIT_EXIT_OK=t; exit 1; }
 }