diff --git a/t/t5573-pull-verify-signatures.sh b/t/t5573-pull-verify-signatures.sh
index 8ae331f40e..9594e891f4 100755
--- a/t/t5573-pull-verify-signatures.sh
+++ b/t/t5573-pull-verify-signatures.sh
@@ -43,33 +43,36 @@ test_expect_success GPG 'create repositories with signed commits' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'pull unsigned commit with --verify-signatures' '
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_must_fail git pull --ff-only --verify-signatures unsigned 2>pullerror &&
 	test_i18ngrep "does not have a GPG signature" pullerror
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'pull commit with bad signature with --verify-signatures' '
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_must_fail git pull --ff-only --verify-signatures bad 2>pullerror &&
 	test_i18ngrep "has a bad GPG signature" pullerror
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'pull commit with untrusted signature with --verify-signatures' '
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_must_fail git pull --ff-only --verify-signatures untrusted 2>pullerror &&
 	test_i18ngrep "has an untrusted GPG signature" pullerror
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'pull signed commit with --verify-signatures' '
-	test_when_finished "git checkout initial" &&
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	git pull --verify-signatures signed >pulloutput &&
 	test_i18ngrep "has a good GPG signature" pulloutput
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'pull commit with bad signature without verification' '
-	test_when_finished "git checkout initial" &&
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	git pull --ff-only bad 2>pullerror
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'pull commit with bad signature with --no-verify-signatures' '
-	test_when_finished "git checkout initial" &&
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_config merge.verifySignatures true &&
 	test_config pull.verifySignatures true &&
 	git pull --ff-only --no-verify-signatures bad 2>pullerror
diff --git a/t/t7612-merge-verify-signatures.sh b/t/t7612-merge-verify-signatures.sh
index 2344995a11..e797c74112 100755
--- a/t/t7612-merge-verify-signatures.sh
+++ b/t/t7612-merge-verify-signatures.sh
@@ -35,64 +35,70 @@ test_expect_success GPG 'create signed commits' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'merge unsigned commit with verification' '
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_must_fail git merge --ff-only --verify-signatures side-unsigned 2>mergeerror &&
 	test_i18ngrep "does not have a GPG signature" mergeerror
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'merge unsigned commit with merge.verifySignatures=true' '
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_config merge.verifySignatures true &&
 	test_must_fail git merge --ff-only side-unsigned 2>mergeerror &&
 	test_i18ngrep "does not have a GPG signature" mergeerror
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'merge commit with bad signature with verification' '
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_must_fail git merge --ff-only --verify-signatures $(cat forged.commit) 2>mergeerror &&
 	test_i18ngrep "has a bad GPG signature" mergeerror
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'merge commit with bad signature with merge.verifySignatures=true' '
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_config merge.verifySignatures true &&
 	test_must_fail git merge --ff-only $(cat forged.commit) 2>mergeerror &&
 	test_i18ngrep "has a bad GPG signature" mergeerror
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'merge commit with untrusted signature with verification' '
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_must_fail git merge --ff-only --verify-signatures side-untrusted 2>mergeerror &&
 	test_i18ngrep "has an untrusted GPG signature" mergeerror
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'merge commit with untrusted signature with merge.verifySignatures=true' '
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_config merge.verifySignatures true &&
 	test_must_fail git merge --ff-only side-untrusted 2>mergeerror &&
 	test_i18ngrep "has an untrusted GPG signature" mergeerror
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'merge signed commit with verification' '
-	test_when_finished "git checkout initial" &&
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	git merge --verbose --ff-only --verify-signatures side-signed >mergeoutput &&
 	test_i18ngrep "has a good GPG signature" mergeoutput
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'merge signed commit with merge.verifySignatures=true' '
-	test_when_finished "git checkout initial" &&
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_config merge.verifySignatures true &&
 	git merge --verbose --ff-only side-signed >mergeoutput &&
 	test_i18ngrep "has a good GPG signature" mergeoutput
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'merge commit with bad signature without verification' '
-	test_when_finished "git checkout initial" &&
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	git merge $(cat forged.commit)
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'merge commit with bad signature with merge.verifySignatures=false' '
-	test_when_finished "git checkout initial" &&
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_config merge.verifySignatures false &&
 	git merge $(cat forged.commit)
 '
 
 test_expect_success GPG 'merge commit with bad signature with merge.verifySignatures=true and --no-verify-signatures' '
-	test_when_finished "git checkout initial" &&
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard && git checkout initial" &&
 	test_config merge.verifySignatures true &&
 	git merge --no-verify-signatures $(cat forged.commit)
 '