diff --git a/t/t4018-diff-funcname.sh b/t/t4018-diff-funcname.sh
index 34591c2..1dbaa38 100755
--- a/t/t4018-diff-funcname.sh
+++ b/t/t4018-diff-funcname.sh
@@ -52,15 +52,15 @@
 		echo "*.java diff=$p" >.gitattributes &&
 		test_expect_code 1 git diff --no-index \
 			A.java B.java 2>msg &&
-		! test_i18ngrep fatal msg &&
-		! test_i18ngrep error msg
+		test_i18ngrep ! fatal msg &&
+		test_i18ngrep ! error msg
 	'
 	test_expect_success "builtin $p wordRegex pattern compiles" '
 		echo "*.java diff=$p" >.gitattributes &&
 		test_expect_code 1 git diff --no-index --word-diff \
 			A.java B.java 2>msg &&
-		! test_i18ngrep fatal msg &&
-		! test_i18ngrep error msg
+		test_i18ngrep ! fatal msg &&
+		test_i18ngrep ! error msg
 	'
 done
 
diff --git a/t/t9800-git-p4-basic.sh b/t/t9800-git-p4-basic.sh
index 665607c..5b56212 100755
--- a/t/t9800-git-p4-basic.sh
+++ b/t/t9800-git-p4-basic.sh
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
 		test_expect_code 1 git p4 clone --dest="$git" //depot >errs 2>&1
 	) &&
 	cat errs &&
-	! test_i18ngrep Traceback errs
+	test_i18ngrep ! Traceback errs
 '
 
 # Hide a file from p4d, make sure we catch its complaint.  This won't fail in
diff --git a/t/t9807-git-p4-submit.sh b/t/t9807-git-p4-submit.sh
index 7fab2ed..1f74a88 100755
--- a/t/t9807-git-p4-submit.sh
+++ b/t/t9807-git-p4-submit.sh
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@
 		git p4 submit --prepare-p4-only >out &&
 		test_i18ngrep "prepared for submission" out &&
 		test_i18ngrep "must be deleted" out &&
-		! test_i18ngrep "everything below this line is just the diff" out
+		test_i18ngrep ! "everything below this line is just the diff" out
 	) &&
 	(
 		cd "$cli" &&