diff --git a/t/t4207-log-decoration-colors.sh b/t/t4207-log-decoration-colors.sh
index b972296f06..60f040cab8 100755
--- a/t/t4207-log-decoration-colors.sh
+++ b/t/t4207-log-decoration-colors.sh
@@ -7,11 +7,6 @@ test_description='Test for "git log --decorate" colors'
 
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
-get_color ()
-{
-	git config --get-color no.such.slot "$1"
-}
-
 test_expect_success setup '
 	git config diff.color.commit yellow &&
 	git config color.decorate.branch green &&
@@ -20,14 +15,14 @@ test_expect_success setup '
 	git config color.decorate.stash magenta &&
 	git config color.decorate.HEAD cyan &&
 
-	c_reset=$(get_color reset) &&
+	c_reset="<RESET>" &&
 
-	c_commit=$(get_color yellow) &&
-	c_branch=$(get_color green) &&
-	c_remoteBranch=$(get_color red) &&
-	c_tag=$(get_color "reverse bold yellow") &&
-	c_stash=$(get_color magenta) &&
-	c_HEAD=$(get_color cyan) &&
+	c_commit="<YELLOW>" &&
+	c_branch="<GREEN>" &&
+	c_remoteBranch="<RED>" &&
+	c_tag="<BOLD;REVERSE;YELLOW>" &&
+	c_stash="<MAGENTA>" &&
+	c_HEAD="<CYAN>" &&
 
 	test_commit A &&
 	git clone . other &&
@@ -59,7 +54,8 @@ EOF
 # to this test since it does not contain any decoration, hence --first-parent
 test_expect_success 'Commit Decorations Colored Correctly' '
 	git log --first-parent --abbrev=10 --all --decorate --oneline --color=always |
-	sed "s/[0-9a-f]\{10,10\}/COMMIT_ID/" >out &&
+	sed "s/[0-9a-f]\{10,10\}/COMMIT_ID/" |
+	test_decode_color >out &&
 	test_cmp expected out
 '
 
diff --git a/t/t6006-rev-list-format.sh b/t/t6006-rev-list-format.sh
index a1dcdb81d7..647218b4ef 100755
--- a/t/t6006-rev-list-format.sh
+++ b/t/t6006-rev-list-format.sh
@@ -61,8 +61,9 @@ test_format () {
 # Feed to --format to provide predictable colored sequences.
 AUTO_COLOR='%C(auto,red)foo%C(auto,reset)'
 has_color () {
-	printf '\033[31mfoo\033[m\n' >expect &&
-	test_cmp expect "$1"
+	test_decode_color <"$1" >decoded &&
+	echo "<RED>foo<RESET>" >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect decoded
 }
 
 has_no_color () {
@@ -170,19 +171,27 @@ $added
 
 EOF
 
-test_format colors %Credfoo%Cgreenbar%Cbluebaz%Cresetxyzzy <<EOF
-commit $head2
-foobarbazxyzzy
-commit $head1
-foobarbazxyzzy
-EOF
+test_expect_success 'basic colors' '
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	commit $head2
+	<RED>foo<GREEN>bar<BLUE>baz<RESET>xyzzy
+	EOF
+	format="%Credfoo%Cgreenbar%Cbluebaz%Cresetxyzzy" &&
+	git rev-list --format="$format" -1 master >actual.raw &&
+	test_decode_color <actual.raw >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
 
-test_format advanced-colors '%C(red yellow bold)foo%C(reset)' <<EOF
-commit $head2
-foo
-commit $head1
-foo
-EOF
+test_expect_success 'advanced colors' '
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	commit $head2
+	<BOLD;RED;BYELLOW>foo<RESET>
+	EOF
+	format="%C(red yellow bold)foo%C(reset)" &&
+	git rev-list --format="$format" -1 master >actual.raw &&
+	test_decode_color <actual.raw >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
 
 test_expect_success '%C(auto,...) does not enable color by default' '
 	git log --format=$AUTO_COLOR -1 >actual &&
@@ -224,8 +233,9 @@ test_expect_success '%C(auto,...) respects --color=auto (stdout not tty)' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success '%C(auto) respects --color' '
-	git log --color --format="%C(auto)%H" -1 >actual &&
-	printf "\\033[33m%s\\033[m\\n" $(git rev-parse HEAD) >expect &&
+	git log --color --format="%C(auto)%H" -1 >actual.raw &&
+	test_decode_color <actual.raw >actual &&
+	echo "<YELLOW>$(git rev-parse HEAD)<RESET>" >expect &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
diff --git a/t/t6300-for-each-ref.sh b/t/t6300-for-each-ref.sh
index 834a9ed168..7872a2f544 100755
--- a/t/t6300-for-each-ref.sh
+++ b/t/t6300-for-each-ref.sh
@@ -412,20 +412,18 @@ test_expect_success 'Check for invalid refname format' '
 	test_must_fail git for-each-ref --format="%(refname:INVALID)"
 '
 
-get_color ()
-{
-	git config --get-color no.such.slot "$1"
-}
-
 cat >expected <<EOF
-$(git rev-parse --short refs/heads/master) $(get_color green)master$(get_color reset)
-$(git rev-parse --short refs/remotes/origin/master) $(get_color green)origin/master$(get_color reset)
-$(git rev-parse --short refs/tags/testtag) $(get_color green)testtag$(get_color reset)
-$(git rev-parse --short refs/tags/two) $(get_color green)two$(get_color reset)
+$(git rev-parse --short refs/heads/master) <GREEN>master<RESET>
+$(git rev-parse --short refs/remotes/origin/master) <GREEN>origin/master<RESET>
+$(git rev-parse --short refs/tags/testtag) <GREEN>testtag<RESET>
+$(git rev-parse --short refs/tags/two) <GREEN>two<RESET>
 EOF
 
 test_expect_success 'Check %(color:...) ' '
-	git for-each-ref --format="%(objectname:short) %(color:green)%(refname:short)" >actual &&
+	git for-each-ref \
+		--format="%(objectname:short) %(color:green)%(refname:short)" \
+		>actual.raw &&
+	test_decode_color <actual.raw >actual &&
 	test_cmp expected actual
 '
 
diff --git a/t/test-lib-functions.sh b/t/test-lib-functions.sh
index db622c3555..e09e93b38f 100644
--- a/t/test-lib-functions.sh
+++ b/t/test-lib-functions.sh
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ test_decode_color () {
 		function name(n) {
 			if (n == 0) return "RESET";
 			if (n == 1) return "BOLD";
+			if (n == 7) return "REVERSE";
 			if (n == 30) return "BLACK";
 			if (n == 31) return "RED";
 			if (n == 32) return "GREEN";