diff --git a/test/lib/git/repo_index_test.sh b/test/lib/git/repo_index_test.sh
index 4012e04..46100e1 100755
--- a/test/lib/git/repo_index_test.sh
+++ b/test/lib/git/repo_index_test.sh
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ ensureIndex() {
 }
 
 index_no_newlines() {
-  cat $git_index_file | tr "\\n" " "
+  tr "\\n" " " < $git_index_file
 }
 
 
diff --git a/test/lib/git/status_shortcuts_test.sh b/test/lib/git/status_shortcuts_test.sh
index b79ea8c..7765d5e 100755
--- a/test/lib/git/status_shortcuts_test.sh
+++ b/test/lib/git/status_shortcuts_test.sh
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ test_git_status_shortcuts() {
   # Run command in shell, load output from temp file into variable
   temp_file=$(mktemp -t scm_breeze.XXXXXXXXXX)
   git_status_shortcuts > $temp_file
-  git_status=$(cat $temp_file | strip_colors)
+  git_status=$(<$temp_file strip_colors)
 
   assertIncludes "$git_status"  "new file: *\[1\] *new_file"       || return
   assertIncludes "$git_status"   "deleted: *\[2\] *deleted_file"   || return