diff --git a/t/Makefile b/t/Makefile
index 2373a04f7a..8fd1a72357 100644
--- a/t/Makefile
+++ b/t/Makefile
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@ test: pre-clean $(TEST_LINT)
 	$(MAKE) aggregate-results-and-cleanup
 
 prove: pre-clean $(TEST_LINT)
-	@echo "*** prove ***"; GIT_CONFIG=.git/config $(PROVE) --exec '$(SHELL_PATH_SQ)' $(GIT_PROVE_OPTS) $(T) :: $(GIT_TEST_OPTS)
+	@echo "*** prove ***"; $(PROVE) --exec '$(SHELL_PATH_SQ)' $(GIT_PROVE_OPTS) $(T) :: $(GIT_TEST_OPTS)
 	$(MAKE) clean-except-prove-cache
 
 $(T):
-	@echo "*** $@ ***"; GIT_CONFIG=.git/config '$(SHELL_PATH_SQ)' $@ $(GIT_TEST_OPTS)
+	@echo "*** $@ ***"; '$(SHELL_PATH_SQ)' $@ $(GIT_TEST_OPTS)
 
 pre-clean:
 	$(RM) -r '$(TEST_RESULTS_DIRECTORY_SQ)'