diff --git a/t/lib-submodule-update.sh b/t/lib-submodule-update.sh
index f7c7df0ca4..03e0abbdb8 100644
--- a/t/lib-submodule-update.sh
+++ b/t/lib-submodule-update.sh
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ prolog () {
 # should be updated to an existing commit.
 reset_work_tree_to () {
 	rm -rf submodule_update &&
-	git clone submodule_update_repo submodule_update &&
+	git clone --template= submodule_update_repo submodule_update &&
 	(
 		cd submodule_update &&
 		rm -rf sub1 &&
@@ -902,13 +902,14 @@ test_submodule_switch_recursing_with_args () {
 	'
 	# ... but an ignored file is fine.
 	test_expect_$RESULTOI "$command: added submodule removes an untracked ignored file" '
-		test_when_finished "rm submodule_update/.git/info/exclude" &&
+		test_when_finished "rm -rf submodule_update/.git/info" &&
 		prolog &&
 		reset_work_tree_to_interested no_submodule &&
 		(
 			cd submodule_update &&
 			git branch -t add_sub1 origin/add_sub1 &&
 			: >sub1 &&
+			mkdir .git/info &&
 			echo sub1 >.git/info/exclude &&
 			$command add_sub1 &&
 			test_superproject_content origin/add_sub1 &&
@@ -951,7 +952,9 @@ test_submodule_switch_recursing_with_args () {
 		reset_work_tree_to_interested add_sub1 &&
 		(
 			cd submodule_update &&
+			rm -rf .git/modules/sub1/info &&
 			git branch -t replace_sub1_with_file origin/replace_sub1_with_file &&
+			mkdir .git/modules/sub1/info &&
 			echo ignored >.git/modules/sub1/info/exclude &&
 			: >sub1/ignored &&
 			$command replace_sub1_with_file &&
diff --git a/t/t0008-ignores.sh b/t/t0008-ignores.sh
index c3655a0c53..c70d11bc91 100755
--- a/t/t0008-ignores.sh
+++ b/t/t0008-ignores.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 test_description=check-ignore
 
 TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
+TEST_CREATE_REPO_NO_TEMPLATE=1
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 init_vars () {
@@ -225,6 +226,7 @@ test_expect_success 'setup' '
 		!globaltwo
 		globalthree
 	EOF
+	mkdir .git/info &&
 	cat <<-\EOF >.git/info/exclude
 		per-repo
 	EOF
diff --git a/t/t3426-rebase-submodule.sh b/t/t3426-rebase-submodule.sh
index 0ad3a07bf4..7a9f1127a4 100755
--- a/t/t3426-rebase-submodule.sh
+++ b/t/t3426-rebase-submodule.sh
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ git_rebase_interactive () {
 	ls -1pR * >>actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	set_fake_editor &&
+	mkdir .git/info &&
 	echo "fake-editor.sh" >.git/info/exclude &&
 	may_only_be_test_must_fail "$2" &&
 	$2 git rebase -i "$1"
diff --git a/t/t7063-status-untracked-cache.sh b/t/t7063-status-untracked-cache.sh
index ca90ee805e..92c2730f31 100755
--- a/t/t7063-status-untracked-cache.sh
+++ b/t/t7063-status-untracked-cache.sh
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ test_expect_success 'core.untrackedCache is unset' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'setup' '
-	git init worktree &&
+	git init --template= worktree &&
 	cd worktree &&
 	mkdir done dtwo dthree &&
 	touch one two three done/one dtwo/two dthree/three &&
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ test_expect_success 'setup' '
 	test-tool chmtime =-300 done dtwo dthree &&
 	test-tool chmtime =-300 . &&
 	git add one two done/one &&
+	mkdir .git/info &&
 	: >.git/info/exclude &&
 	git update-index --untracked-cache &&
 	test_oid_cache <<-EOF