diff --git a/t/t5000-tar-tree.sh b/t/t5000-tar-tree.sh
index 899c1c5bbc..7b8babd89b 100755
--- a/t/t5000-tar-tree.sh
+++ b/t/t5000-tar-tree.sh
@@ -119,14 +119,10 @@ test_expect_success \
     'echo ignore me >a/ignored &&
      echo ignored export-ignore >.git/info/attributes'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'add files to repository' \
-    'find a -type f | xargs git update-index --add &&
-     find a -type l | xargs git update-index --add &&
-     treeid=$(git write-tree) &&
-     echo $treeid >treeid &&
-     git update-ref HEAD $(TZ=GMT GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="2005-05-27 22:00:00" \
-     git commit-tree $treeid </dev/null)'
+test_expect_success 'add files to repository' '
+	git add a &&
+	GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="2005-05-27 22:00" git commit -m initial
+'
 
 test_expect_success 'setup export-subst' '
 	echo "substfile?" export-subst >>.git/info/attributes &&
diff --git a/t/t5003-archive-zip.sh b/t/t5003-archive-zip.sh
index 21a5c93f41..c929db5633 100755
--- a/t/t5003-archive-zip.sh
+++ b/t/t5003-archive-zip.sh
@@ -61,14 +61,10 @@ test_expect_success \
     'echo ignore me >a/ignored &&
      echo ignored export-ignore >.git/info/attributes'
 
-test_expect_success \
-    'add files to repository' \
-    'find a -type f | xargs git update-index --add &&
-     find a -type l | xargs git update-index --add &&
-     treeid=`git write-tree` &&
-     echo $treeid >treeid &&
-     git update-ref HEAD $(TZ=GMT GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="2005-05-27 22:00:00" \
-     git commit-tree $treeid </dev/null)'
+test_expect_success 'add files to repository' '
+	git add a &&
+	GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="2005-05-27 22:00" git commit -m initial
+'
 
 test_expect_success 'setup export-subst' '
 	echo "substfile?" export-subst >>.git/info/attributes &&