diff --git a/t/t4059-diff-submodule-not-initialized.sh b/t/t4059-diff-submodule-not-initialized.sh
index 49bca7b48d..d489230df8 100755
--- a/t/t4059-diff-submodule-not-initialized.sh
+++ b/t/t4059-diff-submodule-not-initialized.sh
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ test_expect_success 'setup - submodules' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'setup - git submodule add' '
-	git submodule add ./sm2 sm1 &&
+	git -c protocol.file.allow=always submodule add ./sm2 sm1 &&
 	commit_file sm1 .gitmodules &&
 	git diff-tree -p --no-commit-id --submodule=log HEAD -- sm1 >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
diff --git a/t/t4060-diff-submodule-option-diff-format.sh b/t/t4060-diff-submodule-option-diff-format.sh
index fc8229c726..57b19125c0 100755
--- a/t/t4060-diff-submodule-option-diff-format.sh
+++ b/t/t4060-diff-submodule-option-diff-format.sh
@@ -759,9 +759,9 @@ test_expect_success 'diff --submodule=diff with .git file' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'setup nested submodule' '
-	git submodule add -f ./sm2 &&
+	git -c protocol.file.allow=always submodule add -f ./sm2 &&
 	git commit -a -m "add sm2" &&
-	git -C sm2 submodule add ../sm2 nested &&
+	git -c protocol.file.allow=always -C sm2 submodule add ../sm2 nested &&
 	git -C sm2 commit -a -m "nested sub" &&
 	head10=$(git -C sm2 rev-parse --short --verify HEAD)
 '
diff --git a/t/t4067-diff-partial-clone.sh b/t/t4067-diff-partial-clone.sh
index 804f2a82e8..28f42a4046 100755
--- a/t/t4067-diff-partial-clone.sh
+++ b/t/t4067-diff-partial-clone.sh
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ test_expect_success 'diff skips same-OID blobs' '
 
 test_expect_success 'when fetching missing objects, diff skips GITLINKs' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -rf sub server client trace" &&
+	test_config_global protocol.file.allow always &&
 
 	test_create_repo sub &&
 	test_commit -C sub first &&
diff --git a/t/t4208-log-magic-pathspec.sh b/t/t4208-log-magic-pathspec.sh
index 6cdbe4747a..aeaf0d5ba3 100755
--- a/t/t4208-log-magic-pathspec.sh
+++ b/t/t4208-log-magic-pathspec.sh
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ test_expect_success 'command line pathspec parsing for "git log"' '
 
 test_expect_success 'tree_entry_interesting does not match past submodule boundaries' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -rf repo submodule" &&
+	test_config_global protocol.file.allow always &&
 	git init submodule &&
 	test_commit -C submodule initial &&
 	git init repo &&