diff --git a/t/t4067-diff-partial-clone.sh b/t/t4067-diff-partial-clone.sh
index f60f5cbd65..7af3a08862 100755
--- a/t/t4067-diff-partial-clone.sh
+++ b/t/t4067-diff-partial-clone.sh
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ test_expect_success 'diff does not fetch anything if inexact rename detection is
 
 	# Ensure no fetches.
 	GIT_TRACE_PACKET="$(pwd)/trace" git -C client diff --raw -M HEAD^ HEAD &&
-	! test_path_exists trace
+	test_path_is_missing trace
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'diff --break-rewrites fetches only if necessary, and batches blobs if it does' '
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ test_expect_success 'diff --break-rewrites fetches only if necessary, and batche
 
 	# Ensure no fetches.
 	GIT_TRACE_PACKET="$(pwd)/trace" git -C client diff --raw -M HEAD^ HEAD &&
-	! test_path_exists trace &&
+	test_path_is_missing trace &&
 
 	# But with --break-rewrites, ensure that there is exactly 1 negotiation
 	# by checking that there is only 1 "done" line sent. ("done" marks the
diff --git a/t/t4115-apply-symlink.sh b/t/t4115-apply-symlink.sh
index e95e6d4e7d..a22a90d552 100755
--- a/t/t4115-apply-symlink.sh
+++ b/t/t4115-apply-symlink.sh
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'symlink escape when creating new files' '
 	error: affected file ${SQ}renamed-symlink/create-me${SQ} is beyond a symbolic link
 	EOF
 	test_cmp expected_stderr stderr &&
-	! test_path_exists .git/create-me
+	test_path_is_missing .git/create-me
 '
 
 test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'symlink escape when modifying file' '