diff --git a/tests/actions-test-lib.sh b/tests/actions-test-lib.sh
index 71cd4fd..42185f2 100644
--- a/tests/actions-test-lib.sh
+++ b/tests/actions-test-lib.sh
@@ -30,3 +30,19 @@ make_action_in_folder()
     mkdir ".todo.actions.d/$1"
     [ -z "$1" ] || make_dummy_action ".todo.actions.d/$1/$1" "in folder $1"
 }
+
+invalidate_action()
+{
+    local customActionFilespec="${1:?}"; shift
+    local testName="${1:?}"; shift
+
+    chmod -x "$customActionFilespec"
+    # On Cygwin, clearing the executable flag may have no effect, as the Windows
+    # ACL may still grant execution rights. In this case, we skip the test, and
+    # remove the (still valid) custom action so that it doesn't break following
+    # tests.
+    if [ -x "$customActionFilespec" ]; then
+        SKIP_TESTS="${SKIP_TESTS}${SKIP_TESTS+ }${testName}"
+        rm -- "$customActionFilespec"
+    fi
+}
diff --git a/tests/t1800-del.sh b/tests/t1800-del.sh
index 6d96e89..2529a93 100755
--- a/tests/t1800-del.sh
+++ b/tests/t1800-del.sh
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ test_description='basic del functionality
 '
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
-SPACE=' '
-
 test_todo_session 'del usage' <<EOF
 >>> todo.sh del B
 usage: todo.sh del ITEM# [TERM]
@@ -60,7 +58,7 @@ test_todo_session 'del with confirmation' <<EOF
 TODO: 3 of 3 tasks shown
 
 >>> printf n | todo.sh del 1
-Delete '(B) smell the uppercase Roses +flowers @outside'? (y/n)$SPACE
+\\
 TODO: No tasks were deleted.
 
 >>> todo.sh -p list
@@ -71,15 +69,15 @@ TODO: No tasks were deleted.
 TODO: 3 of 3 tasks shown
 
 >>> printf x | todo.sh del 1
-Delete '(B) smell the uppercase Roses +flowers @outside'? (y/n)$SPACE
+\\
 TODO: No tasks were deleted.
 
 >>> echo | todo.sh del 1
-Delete '(B) smell the uppercase Roses +flowers @outside'? (y/n)$SPACE
+\\
 TODO: No tasks were deleted.
 
 >>> printf y | todo.sh del 1
-Delete '(B) smell the uppercase Roses +flowers @outside'? (y/n)$SPACE
+\\
 1 (B) smell the uppercase Roses +flowers @outside
 TODO: 1 deleted.
 
diff --git a/tests/t1850-move.sh b/tests/t1850-move.sh
index 9fbdc0b..2a9e6ea 100755
--- a/tests/t1850-move.sh
+++ b/tests/t1850-move.sh
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ test_description='basic move functionality
 '
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
-SPACE=' '
-
 cat > todo.txt <<EOF
 (B) smell the uppercase Roses +flowers @outside
 (A) notice the sunflowers
@@ -42,7 +40,7 @@ x 2009-02-13 smell the coffee +wakeup
 EOF
 test_todo_session 'basic move with confirmation' <<EOF
 >>> printf y | todo.sh move 1 done.txt 2>&1 | sed -e "s#'[^']\{1,\}/\([^/']\{1,\}\)'#'\1'#g" -e 's#from .\{1,\}/\([^/]\{1,\}\) to .\{1,\}/\([^/]\{1,\}\)?#from \1 to \2?#g'
-Move '(B) smell the uppercase Roses +flowers @outside' from todo.txt to done.txt? (y/n)$SPACE
+\\
 1 (B) smell the uppercase Roses +flowers @outside
 TODO: 1 moved from 'todo.txt' to 'done.txt'.
 
diff --git a/tests/t8010-listaddons.sh b/tests/t8010-listaddons.sh
index b4e89aa..ee0495a 100755
--- a/tests/t8010-listaddons.sh
+++ b/tests/t8010-listaddons.sh
@@ -28,12 +28,7 @@ ls
 quux
 EOF
 
-chmod -x .todo.actions.d/foo
-# On Cygwin, clearing the executable flag may have no effect, as the Windows ACL
-# may still grant execution rights. In this case, we skip the test.
-if [ -x .todo.actions.d/foo ]; then
-    SKIP_TESTS="${SKIP_TESTS}${SKIP_TESTS+ }t8010.4"
-fi
+invalidate_action .todo.actions.d/foo t8010.4
 test_todo_session 'nonexecutable action' <<EOF
 >>> todo.sh listaddons
 bar
@@ -66,13 +61,7 @@ norris
 quux
 EOF
 
-# nthorne: shamelessly stolen from above..
-chmod -x .todo.actions.d/norris/norris
-# On Cygwin, clearing the executable flag may have no effect, as the Windows ACL
-# may still grant execution rights. In this case, we skip the test.
-if [ -x .todo.actions.d/norris/norris ]; then
-    SKIP_TESTS="${SKIP_TESTS}${SKIP_TESTS+ }t8010.8"
-fi
+invalidate_action .todo.actions.d/norris/norris t8010.8
 test_todo_session 'nonexecutable action in subfolder' <<EOF
 >>> todo.sh listaddons
 bar
diff --git a/todo.sh b/todo.sh
index 26df83c..11ac385 100755
--- a/todo.sh
+++ b/todo.sh
@@ -364,12 +364,11 @@ confirm()
 {
     [ $TODOTXT_FORCE = 0 ] || return 0
 
-    printf %s "${1:?}? (y/n) "
     local readArgs=(-e -r)
     [ -n "${BASH_VERSINFO:-}" ] && [ \( ${BASH_VERSINFO[0]} -eq 4 -a ${BASH_VERSINFO[1]} -ge 1 \) -o ${BASH_VERSINFO[0]} -gt 4 ] &&
         readArgs+=(-N 1)    # Bash 4.1+ supports -N nchars
     local answer
-    read "${readArgs[@]}" answer
+    read -p "${1:?}? (y/n) " "${readArgs[@]}" answer
     echo
     [ "$answer" = "y" ]
 }
@@ -451,8 +450,7 @@ replaceOrPrepend()
   getTodo "$item"
 
   if [[ -z "$1" && $TODOTXT_FORCE = 0 ]]; then
-    echo -n "$querytext"
-    read -r -i "$todo" -e input
+    read -p "$querytext" -r -i "$todo" -e input
   else
     input=$*
   fi
@@ -1082,8 +1080,7 @@ fi
 case $action in
 "add" | "a")
     if [[ -z "$2" && $TODOTXT_FORCE = 0 ]]; then
-        echo -n "Add: "
-        read -e -r input
+        read -p "Add: " -e -r input
     else
         [ -z "$2" ] && die "usage: $TODO_SH add \"TODO ITEM\""
         shift
@@ -1094,8 +1091,7 @@ case $action in
 
 "addm")
     if [[ -z "$2" && $TODOTXT_FORCE = 0 ]]; then
-        echo -n "Add: "
-        read -e -r input
+        read -p "Add: " -e -r input
     else
         [ -z "$2" ] && die "usage: $TODO_SH addm \"TODO ITEM\""
         shift
@@ -1135,8 +1131,7 @@ case $action in
     getTodo "$item"
 
     if [[ -z "$1" && $TODOTXT_FORCE = 0 ]]; then
-        echo -n "Append: "
-        read -e -r input
+        read -p "Append: " -e -r input
     else
         input=$*
     fi