diff --git a/test/sharness/t0044-add-symlink.sh b/test/sharness/t0044-add-symlink.sh
index 4b38a7c22..a22e60f38 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0044-add-symlink.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0044-add-symlink.sh
@@ -18,12 +18,13 @@ test_expect_success "creating files succeeds" '
 
 test_add_symlinks() {
 	test_expect_success "ipfs add files succeeds" '
-		ipfs add -q -r files | tail -n 1 > filehash_out
+		ipfs add -q -r files >filehash_all &&
+		tail -n 1 filehash_all >filehash_out
 	'
 
 	test_expect_success "output looks good" '
 		echo QmWdiHKoeSW8G1u7ATCgpx4yMoUhYaJBQGkyPLkS9goYZ8 > filehash_exp &&
-		test_cmp filehash_out filehash_exp
+		test_cmp filehash_exp filehash_out
 	'
 
 	test_expect_success "adding a symlink adds the link itself" '
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ test_add_symlinks() {
 
 	test_expect_success "output looks good" '
 		echo "QmdocmZeF7qwPT9Z8SiVhMSyKA2KKoA2J7jToW6z6WBmxR" > goodlink_exp &&
-		test_cmp goodlink_out goodlink_exp
+		test_cmp goodlink_exp goodlink_out
 	'
 
 	test_expect_success "adding a broken symlink works" '
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ test_add_symlinks() {
 
 	test_expect_success "output looks good" '
 		echo "QmWYN8SEXCgNT2PSjB6BnxAx6NJQtazWoBkTRH9GRfPFFQ" > badlink_exp &&
-		test_cmp badlink_out badlink_exp
+		test_cmp badlink_exp badlink_out
 	'
 }
 
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0141-addfilter.sh b/test/sharness/t0141-addfilter.sh
index 37557f1da..4e31f3271 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0141-addfilter.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0141-addfilter.sh
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ test_swarm_filter_cmd() {
 	'
 
 	test_expect_success "'ipfs swarm filters' output looks good" '
-		test_sort_cmp list_actual list_expected
+		test_sort_cmp list_expected list_actual
 	'
 }
 
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0220-bitswap.sh b/test/sharness/t0220-bitswap.sh
index 3632705b7..ac97a01de 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0220-bitswap.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0220-bitswap.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ test_launch_ipfs_daemon
 test_expect_success "'ipfs block get' adds hash to wantlist" '
 	export NONEXIST=QmeXxaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa &&
 	test_expect_code 1 ipfs block get $NONEXIST --timeout=10ms &&
-	ipfs bitswap wantlist | grep $NONEXIST
+	ipfs bitswap wantlist >wantlist_out &&
+	grep $NONEXIST wantlist_out
 '
 
 test_expect_success "'ipfs bitswap unwant' succeeds" '
@@ -23,8 +24,7 @@ test_expect_success "'ipfs bitswap unwant' succeeds" '
 
 test_expect_success "hash was removed from wantlist" '
 	ipfs bitswap wantlist > wantlist_out &&
-	printf "" > wantlist_exp &&
-	test_cmp wantlist_out wantlist_exp
+	test_must_be_empty wantlist_out
 '
 
 test_kill_ipfs_daemon
diff --git a/test/sharness/x0045-add-cat-iptb.sh b/test/sharness/x0045-add-cat-iptb.sh
index feeee7cef..892c2f249 100755
--- a/test/sharness/x0045-add-cat-iptb.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/x0045-add-cat-iptb.sh
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ test_expect_success "cat that file on node2" '
 test_expect_success "verify files match" '
 	multihash filea > expected1 &&
 	multihash fileb > actual1 &&
-	test_cmp actual1 expected1
+	test_cmp expected1 actual1
 '
 
 test_expect_success "shut down nodes" '
diff --git a/test/sharness/xt0130-multinode.sh b/test/sharness/xt0130-multinode.sh
index 2d0cde475..0d2388238 100755
--- a/test/sharness/xt0130-multinode.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/xt0130-multinode.sh
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ test_expect_success "cat that file on node2" '
 test_expect_success "verify files match" '
 	multihash filea > expected1 &&
 	multihash fileb > actual1 &&
-	test_cmp actual1 expected1
+	test_cmp expected1 actual1
 '
 
 test_expect_success "shut down nodes" '