diff --git a/git-p4.py b/git-p4.py
index e798ecf48c..a4414b58b9 100755
--- a/git-p4.py
+++ b/git-p4.py
@@ -1220,7 +1220,7 @@ def edit_template(self, template_file):
             editor = os.environ.get("P4EDITOR")
         else:
             editor = read_pipe("git var GIT_EDITOR").strip()
-        system(editor + " " + template_file)
+        system([editor, template_file])
 
         # If the file was not saved, prompt to see if this patch should
         # be skipped.  But skip this verification step if configured so.
diff --git a/t/lib-git-p4.sh b/t/lib-git-p4.sh
index 4ff2bb1bf2..5aa8adcf9c 100644
--- a/t/lib-git-p4.sh
+++ b/t/lib-git-p4.sh
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ P4DPORT=$((10669 + ($testid - $git_p4_test_start)))
 P4PORT=localhost:$P4DPORT
 P4CLIENT=client
 P4USER=author
-P4EDITOR=:
+P4EDITOR=true
 unset P4CHARSET
 export P4PORT P4CLIENT P4USER P4EDITOR P4CHARSET
 
@@ -57,6 +57,12 @@ cli="$TRASH_DIRECTORY/cli"
 git="$TRASH_DIRECTORY/git"
 pidfile="$TRASH_DIRECTORY/p4d.pid"
 
+# git p4 submit generates a temp file, which will
+# not get cleaned up if the submission fails.  Don't
+# clutter up /tmp on the test machine.
+TMPDIR="$TRASH_DIRECTORY"
+export TMPDIR
+
 start_p4d() {
 	mkdir -p "$db" "$cli" "$git" &&
 	rm -f "$pidfile" &&
diff --git a/t/t9805-git-p4-skip-submit-edit.sh b/t/t9805-git-p4-skip-submit-edit.sh
index ff2cc79701..89311886db 100755
--- a/t/t9805-git-p4-skip-submit-edit.sh
+++ b/t/t9805-git-p4-skip-submit-edit.sh
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ test_expect_success 'init depot' '
 	)
 '
 
-# this works because EDITOR is set to :
+# this works because P4EDITOR is set to true
 test_expect_success 'no config, unedited, say yes' '
 	git p4 clone --dest="$git" //depot &&
 	test_when_finished cleanup_git &&
@@ -90,7 +90,9 @@ test_expect_success 'no config, edited' '
 		cd "$git" &&
 		echo line >>file1 &&
 		git commit -a -m "change 5" &&
-		P4EDITOR="" EDITOR="\"$TRASH_DIRECTORY/ed.sh\"" git p4 submit &&
+		P4EDITOR="$TRASH_DIRECTORY/ed.sh" &&
+		export P4EDITOR &&
+		git p4 submit &&
 		p4 changes //depot/... >wc &&
 		test_line_count = 5 wc
 	)