diff --git a/t/t2026-checkout-pathspec-file.sh b/t/t2026-checkout-pathspec-file.sh
index f62fd27440..2dc8901bca 100755
--- a/t/t2026-checkout-pathspec-file.sh
+++ b/t/t2026-checkout-pathspec-file.sh
@@ -109,7 +109,10 @@ test_expect_success 'CRLF delimiters' '
 test_expect_success 'quotes' '
 	restore_checkpoint &&
 
-	printf "\"file\\101.t\"" | git checkout --pathspec-from-file=- HEAD^1 &&
+	# shell  takes \\\\101 and spits \\101
+	# printf takes   \\101 and spits  \101
+	# git    takes    \101 and spits     A
+	printf "\"file\\\\101.t\"" | git checkout --pathspec-from-file=- HEAD^1 &&
 
 	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
 	M  fileA.t
@@ -120,7 +123,9 @@ test_expect_success 'quotes' '
 test_expect_success 'quotes not compatible with --pathspec-file-nul' '
 	restore_checkpoint &&
 
-	printf "\"file\\101.t\"" >list &&
+	# shell  takes \\\\101 and spits \\101
+	# printf takes   \\101 and spits  \101
+	printf "\"file\\\\101.t\"" >list &&
 	test_must_fail git checkout --pathspec-from-file=list --pathspec-file-nul HEAD^1
 '
 
diff --git a/t/t2072-restore-pathspec-file.sh b/t/t2072-restore-pathspec-file.sh
index db58e83735..70e95ef3b6 100755
--- a/t/t2072-restore-pathspec-file.sh
+++ b/t/t2072-restore-pathspec-file.sh
@@ -109,7 +109,10 @@ test_expect_success 'CRLF delimiters' '
 test_expect_success 'quotes' '
 	restore_checkpoint &&
 
-	printf "\"file\\101.t\"" | git restore --pathspec-from-file=- --source=HEAD^1 &&
+	# shell  takes \\\\101 and spits \\101
+	# printf takes   \\101 and spits  \101
+	# git    takes    \101 and spits     A
+	printf "\"file\\\\101.t\"" | git restore --pathspec-from-file=- --source=HEAD^1 &&
 
 	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
 	 M fileA.t
@@ -120,7 +123,9 @@ test_expect_success 'quotes' '
 test_expect_success 'quotes not compatible with --pathspec-file-nul' '
 	restore_checkpoint &&
 
-	printf "\"file\\101.t\"" >list &&
+	# shell  takes \\\\101 and spits \\101
+	# printf takes   \\101 and spits  \101
+	printf "\"file\\\\101.t\"" >list &&
 	test_must_fail git restore --pathspec-from-file=list --pathspec-file-nul --source=HEAD^1
 '
 
diff --git a/t/t3704-add-pathspec-file.sh b/t/t3704-add-pathspec-file.sh
index 3cfdb669b7..2e0141fcce 100755
--- a/t/t3704-add-pathspec-file.sh
+++ b/t/t3704-add-pathspec-file.sh
@@ -97,7 +97,10 @@ test_expect_success 'CRLF delimiters' '
 test_expect_success 'quotes' '
 	restore_checkpoint &&
 
-	printf "\"file\\101.t\"" | git add --pathspec-from-file=- &&
+	# shell  takes \\\\101 and spits \\101
+	# printf takes   \\101 and spits  \101
+	# git    takes    \101 and spits     A
+	printf "\"file\\\\101.t\"" | git add --pathspec-from-file=- &&
 
 	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
 	A  fileA.t
@@ -108,7 +111,9 @@ test_expect_success 'quotes' '
 test_expect_success 'quotes not compatible with --pathspec-file-nul' '
 	restore_checkpoint &&
 
-	printf "\"file\\101.t\"" >list &&
+	# shell  takes \\\\101 and spits \\101
+	# printf takes   \\101 and spits  \101
+	printf "\"file\\\\101.t\"" >list &&
 	test_must_fail git add --pathspec-from-file=list --pathspec-file-nul
 '
 
diff --git a/t/t7107-reset-pathspec-file.sh b/t/t7107-reset-pathspec-file.sh
index 6b1a731fff..52a44f033d 100755
--- a/t/t7107-reset-pathspec-file.sh
+++ b/t/t7107-reset-pathspec-file.sh
@@ -105,8 +105,11 @@ test_expect_success 'CRLF delimiters' '
 test_expect_success 'quotes' '
 	restore_checkpoint &&
 
+	# shell  takes \\\\101 and spits \\101
+	# printf takes   \\101 and spits  \101
+	# git    takes    \101 and spits     A
 	git rm fileA.t &&
-	printf "\"file\\101.t\"" | git reset --pathspec-from-file=- &&
+	printf "\"file\\\\101.t\"" | git reset --pathspec-from-file=- &&
 
 	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
 	 D fileA.t
@@ -117,8 +120,10 @@ test_expect_success 'quotes' '
 test_expect_success 'quotes not compatible with --pathspec-file-nul' '
 	restore_checkpoint &&
 
+	# shell  takes \\\\101 and spits \\101
+	# printf takes   \\101 and spits  \101
 	git rm fileA.t &&
-	printf "\"file\\101.t\"" >list &&
+	printf "\"file\\\\101.t\"" >list &&
 	# Note: "git reset" has not yet learned to fail on wrong pathspecs
 	git reset --pathspec-from-file=list --pathspec-file-nul &&
 
diff --git a/t/t7526-commit-pathspec-file.sh b/t/t7526-commit-pathspec-file.sh
index 4b58901ed6..e7dc2ff8b1 100755
--- a/t/t7526-commit-pathspec-file.sh
+++ b/t/t7526-commit-pathspec-file.sh
@@ -100,7 +100,10 @@ test_expect_success 'CRLF delimiters' '
 test_expect_success 'quotes' '
 	restore_checkpoint &&
 
-	printf "\"file\\101.t\"" | git commit --pathspec-from-file=- -m "Commit" &&
+	# shell  takes \\\\101 and spits \\101
+	# printf takes   \\101 and spits  \101
+	# git    takes    \101 and spits     A
+	printf "\"file\\\\101.t\"" | git commit --pathspec-from-file=- -m "Commit" &&
 
 	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
 	A	fileA.t
@@ -111,7 +114,9 @@ test_expect_success 'quotes' '
 test_expect_success 'quotes not compatible with --pathspec-file-nul' '
 	restore_checkpoint &&
 
-	printf "\"file\\101.t\"" >list &&
+	# shell  takes \\\\101 and spits \\101
+	# printf takes   \\101 and spits  \101
+	printf "\"file\\\\101.t\"" >list &&
 	test_must_fail git commit --pathspec-from-file=list --pathspec-file-nul -m "Commit"
 '
 
