diff --git a/t/t5000-tar-tree.sh b/t/t5000-tar-tree.sh
index 1cf0a4e103..4efaf8c58e 100755
--- a/t/t5000-tar-tree.sh
+++ b/t/t5000-tar-tree.sh
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ check_tar with_olde-prefix olde-
 test_expect_success 'git archive on large files' '
     test_config core.bigfilethreshold 1 &&
     git archive HEAD >b3.tar &&
-    test_cmp b.tar b3.tar
+    test_cmp_bin b.tar b3.tar
 '
 
 test_expect_success \
@@ -173,15 +173,15 @@ test_expect_success \
 
 test_expect_success \
     'git archive vs. the same in a bare repo' \
-    'test_cmp b.tar b3.tar'
+    'test_cmp_bin b.tar b3.tar'
 
 test_expect_success 'git archive with --output' \
     'git archive --output=b4.tar HEAD &&
-    test_cmp b.tar b4.tar'
+    test_cmp_bin b.tar b4.tar'
 
 test_expect_success 'git archive --remote' \
     'git archive --remote=. HEAD >b5.tar &&
-    test_cmp b.tar b5.tar'
+    test_cmp_bin b.tar b5.tar'
 
 test_expect_success \
     'validate file modification time' \
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ test_expect_success \
 
 test_expect_success 'git archive with --output, override inferred format' '
 	git archive --format=tar --output=d4.zip HEAD &&
-	test_cmp b.tar d4.zip
+	test_cmp_bin b.tar d4.zip
 '
 
 test_expect_success \
@@ -244,34 +244,34 @@ test_expect_success 'archive --list shows only enabled remote filters' '
 test_expect_success 'invoke tar filter by format' '
 	git archive --format=tar.foo HEAD >config.tar.foo &&
 	tr ab ba <config.tar.foo >config.tar &&
-	test_cmp b.tar config.tar &&
+	test_cmp_bin b.tar config.tar &&
 	git archive --format=bar HEAD >config.bar &&
 	tr ab ba <config.bar >config.tar &&
-	test_cmp b.tar config.tar
+	test_cmp_bin b.tar config.tar
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'invoke tar filter by extension' '
 	git archive -o config-implicit.tar.foo HEAD &&
-	test_cmp config.tar.foo config-implicit.tar.foo &&
+	test_cmp_bin config.tar.foo config-implicit.tar.foo &&
 	git archive -o config-implicit.bar HEAD &&
-	test_cmp config.tar.foo config-implicit.bar
+	test_cmp_bin config.tar.foo config-implicit.bar
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'default output format remains tar' '
 	git archive -o config-implicit.baz HEAD &&
-	test_cmp b.tar config-implicit.baz
+	test_cmp_bin b.tar config-implicit.baz
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'extension matching requires dot' '
 	git archive -o config-implicittar.foo HEAD &&
-	test_cmp b.tar config-implicittar.foo
+	test_cmp_bin b.tar config-implicittar.foo
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'only enabled filters are available remotely' '
 	test_must_fail git archive --remote=. --format=tar.foo HEAD \
 		>remote.tar.foo &&
 	git archive --remote=. --format=bar >remote.bar HEAD &&
-	test_cmp remote.bar config.bar
+	test_cmp_bin remote.bar config.bar
 '
 
 test_expect_success GZIP 'git archive --format=tgz' '
@@ -280,27 +280,27 @@ test_expect_success GZIP 'git archive --format=tgz' '
 
 test_expect_success GZIP 'git archive --format=tar.gz' '
 	git archive --format=tar.gz HEAD >j1.tar.gz &&
-	test_cmp j.tgz j1.tar.gz
+	test_cmp_bin j.tgz j1.tar.gz
 '
 
 test_expect_success GZIP 'infer tgz from .tgz filename' '
 	git archive --output=j2.tgz HEAD &&
-	test_cmp j.tgz j2.tgz
+	test_cmp_bin j.tgz j2.tgz
 '
 
 test_expect_success GZIP 'infer tgz from .tar.gz filename' '
 	git archive --output=j3.tar.gz HEAD &&
-	test_cmp j.tgz j3.tar.gz
+	test_cmp_bin j.tgz j3.tar.gz
 '
 
 test_expect_success GZIP 'extract tgz file' '
 	gzip -d -c <j.tgz >j.tar &&
-	test_cmp b.tar j.tar
+	test_cmp_bin b.tar j.tar
 '
 
 test_expect_success GZIP 'remote tar.gz is allowed by default' '
 	git archive --remote=. --format=tar.gz HEAD >remote.tar.gz &&
-	test_cmp j.tgz remote.tar.gz
+	test_cmp_bin j.tgz remote.tar.gz
 '
 
 test_expect_success GZIP 'remote tar.gz can be disabled' '
diff --git a/t/t5001-archive-attr.sh b/t/t5001-archive-attr.sh
index 51dedab29b..b04d955bfa 100755
--- a/t/t5001-archive-attr.sh
+++ b/t/t5001-archive-attr.sh
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ test_expect_missing	worktree2/ignored-by-worktree
 
 test_expect_success 'git archive vs. bare' '
 	(cd bare && git archive HEAD) >bare-archive.tar &&
-	test_cmp archive.tar bare-archive.tar
+	test_cmp_bin archive.tar bare-archive.tar
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'git archive with worktree attributes, bare' '
diff --git a/t/t5003-archive-zip.sh b/t/t5003-archive-zip.sh
index c72f71eb18..21a5c93f41 100755
--- a/t/t5003-archive-zip.sh
+++ b/t/t5003-archive-zip.sh
@@ -97,15 +97,15 @@ test_expect_success \
 
 test_expect_success \
     'git archive --format=zip vs. the same in a bare repo' \
-    'test_cmp d.zip d1.zip'
+    'test_cmp_bin d.zip d1.zip'
 
 test_expect_success 'git archive --format=zip with --output' \
     'git archive --format=zip --output=d2.zip HEAD &&
-    test_cmp d.zip d2.zip'
+    test_cmp_bin d.zip d2.zip'
 
 test_expect_success 'git archive with --output, inferring format' '
 	git archive --output=d3.zip HEAD &&
-	test_cmp d.zip d3.zip
+	test_cmp_bin d.zip d3.zip
 '
 
 test_expect_success \
diff --git a/t/t5004-archive-corner-cases.sh b/t/t5004-archive-corner-cases.sh
index 67f3b54bed..305bcac6b7 100755
--- a/t/t5004-archive-corner-cases.sh
+++ b/t/t5004-archive-corner-cases.sh
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ test_expect_success HEADER_ONLY_TAR_OK 'tar archive of commit with empty tree' '
 test_expect_success 'tar archive of empty tree is empty' '
 	git archive --format=tar HEAD: >empty.tar &&
 	perl -e "print \"\\0\" x 10240" >10knuls.tar &&
-	test_cmp 10knuls.tar empty.tar
+	test_cmp_bin 10knuls.tar empty.tar
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'tar archive of empty tree with prefix' '
diff --git a/t/test-lib-functions.sh b/t/test-lib-functions.sh
index 158e10a67e..cf7b41f66d 100644
--- a/t/test-lib-functions.sh
+++ b/t/test-lib-functions.sh
@@ -617,6 +617,12 @@ test_cmp() {
 	$GIT_TEST_CMP "$@"
 }
 
+# test_cmp_bin - helper to compare binary files
+
+test_cmp_bin() {
+	cmp "$@"
+}
+
 # Check if the file expected to be empty is indeed empty, and barfs
 # otherwise.