diff --git a/t/t6016-rev-list-graph-simplify-history.sh b/t/t6016-rev-list-graph-simplify-history.sh
index f5e6e92f5b..f79df8b6d1 100755
--- a/t/t6016-rev-list-graph-simplify-history.sh
+++ b/t/t6016-rev-list-graph-simplify-history.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@
 test_description='--graph and simplified history'
 
 . ./test-lib.sh
+. "$TEST_DIRECTORY"/lib-log-graph.sh
+
+check_graph () {
+	cat >expect &&
+	lib_test_cmp_graph --format=%s "$@"
+}
 
 test_expect_success 'set up rev-list --graph test' '
 	# 3 commits on branch A
@@ -28,7 +34,7 @@ test_expect_success 'set up rev-list --graph test' '
 
 	# Octopus merge B and C into branch A
 	git checkout A &&
-	git merge B C &&
+	git merge B C -m A4 &&
 	git tag A4 &&
 
 	test_commit A5 bar.txt &&
@@ -38,81 +44,64 @@ test_expect_success 'set up rev-list --graph test' '
 	test_commit C3 foo.txt &&
 	test_commit C4 bar.txt &&
 	git checkout A &&
-	git merge -s ours C &&
+	git merge -s ours C -m A6 &&
 	git tag A6 &&
 
-	test_commit A7 bar.txt &&
-
-	# Store commit names in variables for later use
-	A1=$(git rev-parse --verify A1) &&
-	A2=$(git rev-parse --verify A2) &&
-	A3=$(git rev-parse --verify A3) &&
-	A4=$(git rev-parse --verify A4) &&
-	A5=$(git rev-parse --verify A5) &&
-	A6=$(git rev-parse --verify A6) &&
-	A7=$(git rev-parse --verify A7) &&
-	B1=$(git rev-parse --verify B1) &&
-	B2=$(git rev-parse --verify B2) &&
-	C1=$(git rev-parse --verify C1) &&
-	C2=$(git rev-parse --verify C2) &&
-	C3=$(git rev-parse --verify C3) &&
-	C4=$(git rev-parse --verify C4)
-	'
+	test_commit A7 bar.txt
+'
 
 test_expect_success '--graph --all' '
-	rm -f expected &&
-	echo "* $A7" >> expected &&
-	echo "*   $A6" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\  " >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C4" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C3" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A5" >> expected &&
-	echo "| |   " >> expected &&
-	echo "|  \\  " >> expected &&
-	echo "*-. | $A4" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\ \\| " >> expected &&
-	echo "| | * $C2" >> expected &&
-	echo "| | * $C1" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * | $B2" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * | $B1" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | | $A3" >> expected &&
-	echo "| |/  " >> expected &&
-	echo "|/|   " >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A2" >> expected &&
-	echo "|/  " >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A1" >> expected &&
-	git rev-list --graph --all > actual &&
-	test_cmp expected actual
-	'
+	check_graph --all <<-\EOF
+	* A7
+	*   A6
+	|\
+	| * C4
+	| * C3
+	* | A5
+	| |
+	|  \
+	*-. | A4
+	|\ \|
+	| | * C2
+	| | * C1
+	| * | B2
+	| * | B1
+	* | | A3
+	| |/
+	|/|
+	* | A2
+	|/
+	* A1
+	EOF
+'
 
 # Make sure the graph_is_interesting() code still realizes
 # that undecorated merges are interesting, even with --simplify-by-decoration
 test_expect_success '--graph --simplify-by-decoration' '
-	rm -f expected &&
 	git tag -d A4 &&
-	echo "* $A7" >> expected &&
-	echo "*   $A6" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\  " >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C4" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C3" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A5" >> expected &&
-	echo "| |   " >> expected &&
-	echo "|  \\  " >> expected &&
-	echo "*-. | $A4" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\ \\| " >> expected &&
-	echo "| | * $C2" >> expected &&
-	echo "| | * $C1" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * | $B2" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * | $B1" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | | $A3" >> expected &&
-	echo "| |/  " >> expected &&
-	echo "|/|   " >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A2" >> expected &&
-	echo "|/  " >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A1" >> expected &&
-	git rev-list --graph --all --simplify-by-decoration > actual &&
-	test_cmp expected actual
-	'
+	check_graph --all --simplify-by-decoration <<-\EOF
+	* A7
+	*   A6
+	|\
+	| * C4
+	| * C3
+	* | A5
+	| |
+	|  \
+	*-. | A4
+	|\ \|
+	| | * C2
+	| | * C1
+	| * | B2
+	| * | B1
+	* | | A3
+	| |/
+	|/|
+	* | A2
+	|/
+	* A1
+	EOF
+'
 
 test_expect_success 'setup: get rid of decorations on B' '
 	git tag -d B2 &&
@@ -122,142 +111,133 @@ test_expect_success 'setup: get rid of decorations on B' '
 
 # Graph with branch B simplified away
 test_expect_success '--graph --simplify-by-decoration prune branch B' '
-	rm -f expected &&
-	echo "* $A7" >> expected &&
-	echo "*   $A6" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\  " >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C4" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C3" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A5" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A4" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\| " >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C2" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C1" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A3" >> expected &&
-	echo "|/  " >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A2" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A1" >> expected &&
-	git rev-list --graph --simplify-by-decoration --all > actual &&
-	test_cmp expected actual
-	'
+	check_graph --simplify-by-decoration --all <<-\EOF
+	* A7
+	*   A6
+	|\
+	| * C4
+	| * C3
+	* | A5
+	* | A4
+	|\|
+	| * C2
+	| * C1
+	* | A3
+	|/
+	* A2
+	* A1
+	EOF
+'
 
 test_expect_success '--graph --full-history -- bar.txt' '
-	rm -f expected &&
-	echo "* $A7" >> expected &&
-	echo "*   $A6" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\  " >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C4" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A5" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A4" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\| " >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A3" >> expected &&
-	echo "|/  " >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A2" >> expected &&
-	git rev-list --graph --full-history --all -- bar.txt > actual &&
-	test_cmp expected actual
-	'
+	check_graph --full-history --all -- bar.txt <<-\EOF
+	* A7
+	*   A6
+	|\
+	| * C4
+	* | A5
+	* | A4
+	|\|
+	* | A3
+	|/
+	* A2
+	EOF
+'
 
 test_expect_success '--graph --full-history --simplify-merges -- bar.txt' '
-	rm -f expected &&
-	echo "* $A7" >> expected &&
-	echo "*   $A6" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\  " >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C4" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A5" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A3" >> expected &&
-	echo "|/  " >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A2" >> expected &&
-	git rev-list --graph --full-history --simplify-merges --all \
-		-- bar.txt > actual &&
-	test_cmp expected actual
-	'
+	check_graph --full-history --simplify-merges --all -- bar.txt <<-\EOF
+	* A7
+	*   A6
+	|\
+	| * C4
+	* | A5
+	* | A3
+	|/
+	* A2
+	EOF
+'
 
 test_expect_success '--graph -- bar.txt' '
-	rm -f expected &&
-	echo "* $A7" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A5" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A3" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C4" >> expected &&
-	echo "|/  " >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A2" >> expected &&
-	git rev-list --graph --all -- bar.txt > actual &&
-	test_cmp expected actual
-	'
+	check_graph --all -- bar.txt <<-\EOF
+	* A7
+	* A5
+	* A3
+	| * C4
+	|/
+	* A2
+	EOF
+'
 
 test_expect_success '--graph --sparse -- bar.txt' '
-	rm -f expected &&
-	echo "* $A7" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A6" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A5" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A4" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A3" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C4" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C3" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C2" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C1" >> expected &&
-	echo "|/  " >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A2" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A1" >> expected &&
-	git rev-list --graph --sparse --all -- bar.txt > actual &&
-	test_cmp expected actual
-	'
+	check_graph --sparse --all -- bar.txt <<-\EOF
+	* A7
+	* A6
+	* A5
+	* A4
+	* A3
+	| * C4
+	| * C3
+	| * C2
+	| * C1
+	|/
+	* A2
+	* A1
+	EOF
+'
 
 test_expect_success '--graph ^C4' '
-	rm -f expected &&
-	echo "* $A7" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A6" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A5" >> expected &&
-	echo "*   $A4" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\  " >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $B2" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $B1" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A3" >> expected &&
-	git rev-list --graph --all ^C4 > actual &&
-	test_cmp expected actual
-	'
+	check_graph --all ^C4 <<-\EOF
+	* A7
+	* A6
+	* A5
+	*   A4
+	|\
+	| * B2
+	| * B1
+	* A3
+	EOF
+'
 
 test_expect_success '--graph ^C3' '
-	rm -f expected &&
-	echo "* $A7" >> expected &&
-	echo "*   $A6" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\  " >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C4" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A5" >> expected &&
-	echo "*   $A4" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\  " >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $B2" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $B1" >> expected &&
-	echo "* $A3" >> expected &&
-	git rev-list --graph --all ^C3 > actual &&
-	test_cmp expected actual
-	'
+	check_graph --all ^C3 <<-\EOF
+	* A7
+	*   A6
+	|\
+	| * C4
+	* A5
+	*   A4
+	|\
+	| * B2
+	| * B1
+	* A3
+	EOF
+'
 
 # I don't think the ordering of the boundary commits is really
 # that important, but this test depends on it.  If the ordering ever changes
 # in the code, we'll need to update this test.
 test_expect_success '--graph --boundary ^C3' '
-	rm -f expected &&
-	echo "* $A7" >> expected &&
-	echo "*   $A6" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\  " >> expected &&
-	echo "| * $C4" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | $A5" >> expected &&
-	echo "| |     " >> expected &&
-	echo "|  \\    " >> expected &&
-	echo "*-. \\   $A4" >> expected &&
-	echo "|\\ \\ \\  " >> expected &&
-	echo "| * | | $B2" >> expected &&
-	echo "| * | | $B1" >> expected &&
-	echo "* | | | $A3" >> expected &&
-	echo "o | | | $A2" >> expected &&
-	echo "|/ / /  " >> expected &&
-	echo "o / / $A1" >> expected &&
-	echo " / /  " >> expected &&
-	echo "| o $C3" >> expected &&
-	echo "|/  " >> expected &&
-	echo "o $C2" >> expected &&
-	git rev-list --graph --boundary --all ^C3 > actual &&
-	test_cmp expected actual
-	'
+	check_graph --boundary --all ^C3 <<-\EOF
+	* A7
+	*   A6
+	|\
+	| * C4
+	* | A5
+	| |
+	|  \
+	*-. \   A4
+	|\ \ \
+	| * | | B2
+	| * | | B1
+	* | | | A3
+	o | | | A2
+	|/ / /
+	o / / A1
+	 / /
+	| o C3
+	|/
+	o C2
+	EOF
+'
 
 test_done