diff --git a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
index 5f505e2f353..b1d2c014132 100755
--- a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
+++ b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ test_expect_success "deleting current branch adds message to HEAD's log" '
 	git symbolic-ref HEAD $m &&
 	git update-ref -m delete-$m -d $m &&
 	test_must_fail git show-ref --verify -q $m &&
-	grep "delete-$m$" .git/logs/HEAD
+	test-tool ref-store main for-each-reflog-ent HEAD >actual &&
+	grep "delete-$m$" actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success "deleting by HEAD adds message to HEAD's log" '
@@ -99,7 +100,8 @@ test_expect_success "deleting by HEAD adds message to HEAD's log" '
 	git symbolic-ref HEAD $m &&
 	git update-ref -m delete-by-head -d HEAD &&
 	test_must_fail git show-ref --verify -q $m &&
-	grep "delete-by-head$" .git/logs/HEAD
+	test-tool ref-store main for-each-reflog-ent HEAD >actual &&
+	grep "delete-by-head$" actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'update-ref does not create reflogs by default' '
@@ -130,7 +132,7 @@ test_expect_success 'creates no reflog in bare repository' '
 
 test_expect_success 'core.logAllRefUpdates=true creates reflog in bare repository' '
 	test_when_finished "git -C $bare config --unset core.logAllRefUpdates && \
-		rm $bare/logs/$m" &&
+		test-tool ref-store main delete-reflog $m" &&
 	git -C $bare config core.logAllRefUpdates true &&
 	git -C $bare update-ref $m $bareB &&
 	git -C $bare rev-parse $bareB >expect &&
@@ -263,7 +265,10 @@ test_expect_success "(not) changed .git/$m" '
 	! test $B = $(git show-ref -s --verify $m)
 '
 
-rm -f .git/logs/refs/heads/main
+test_expect_success "clean up reflog" '
+	test-tool ref-store main delete-reflog $m
+'
+
 test_expect_success "create $m (logged by touch)" '
 	test_config core.logAllRefUpdates false &&
 	GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="2005-05-26 23:30" \
@@ -316,7 +321,7 @@ $A $B $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> 1117150260 +0000	Switch
 $B $A $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> 1117150860 +0000
 EOF
 test_expect_success "verifying $m's log (logged by touch)" '
-	test_when_finished "git update-ref -d $m && rm -rf .git/logs actual expect" &&
+	test_when_finished "git update-ref -d $m && git reflog expire --expire=all --all && rm -rf actual expect" &&
 	test-tool ref-store main for-each-reflog-ent $m >actual &&
 	test_cmp actual expect
 '
@@ -346,7 +351,7 @@ $A $B $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> 1117150380 +0000	Switch
 $B $A $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> 1117150980 +0000
 EOF
 test_expect_success "verifying $m's log (logged by config)" '
-	test_when_finished "git update-ref -d $m && rm -rf .git/logs actual expect" &&
+	test_when_finished "git update-ref -d $m && git reflog expire --expire=all --all && rm -rf actual expect" &&
 	test-tool ref-store main for-each-reflog-ent $m >actual &&
 	test_cmp actual expect
 '
diff --git a/t/t3200-branch.sh b/t/t3200-branch.sh
index 874520e3f10..933aa9eebbd 100755
--- a/t/t3200-branch.sh
+++ b/t/t3200-branch.sh
@@ -76,14 +76,14 @@ test_expect_success 'git branch HEAD should fail' '
 '
 
 cat >expect <<EOF
-$ZERO_OID $HEAD $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> 1117150200 +0000	branch: Created from main
+$HEAD refs/heads/d/e/f@{0}: branch: Created from main
 EOF
 test_expect_success 'git branch --create-reflog d/e/f should create a branch and a log' '
 	GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="2005-05-26 23:30" \
 	git -c core.logallrefupdates=false branch --create-reflog d/e/f &&
 	test_ref_exists refs/heads/d/e/f &&
-	test_path_is_file .git/logs/refs/heads/d/e/f &&
-	test_cmp expect .git/logs/refs/heads/d/e/f
+	git reflog show --no-abbrev-commit refs/heads/d/e/f >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'git branch -d d/e/f should delete a branch and a log' '
@@ -203,10 +203,9 @@ test_expect_success 'git branch -M baz bam should succeed when baz is checked ou
 	test $(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD) = bam
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'git branch -M baz bam should add entries to .git/logs/HEAD' '
-	msg="Branch: renamed refs/heads/baz to refs/heads/bam" &&
-	grep " $ZERO_OID.*$msg$" .git/logs/HEAD &&
-	grep "^$ZERO_OID.*$msg$" .git/logs/HEAD
+test_expect_success 'git branch -M baz bam should add entries to HEAD reflog' '
+	git reflog show HEAD >actual &&
+	grep "HEAD@{0}: Branch: renamed refs/heads/baz to refs/heads/bam" actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'git branch -M should leave orphaned HEAD alone' '
@@ -228,7 +227,7 @@ test_expect_success 'git branch -M should leave orphaned HEAD alone' '
 test_expect_success 'resulting reflog can be shown by log -g' '
 	oid=$(git rev-parse HEAD) &&
 	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
-	HEAD@{0} $oid $msg
+	HEAD@{0} $oid Branch: renamed refs/heads/baz to refs/heads/bam
 	HEAD@{2} $oid checkout: moving from foo to baz
 	EOF
 	git log -g --format="%gd %H %gs" -2 HEAD >actual &&
@@ -702,7 +701,8 @@ test_expect_success 'git branch -C c1 c2 should succeed when c1 is checked out'
 
 test_expect_success 'git branch -C c1 c2 should never touch HEAD' '
 	msg="Branch: copied refs/heads/c1 to refs/heads/c2" &&
-	! grep "$msg$" .git/logs/HEAD
+	git reflog HEAD >actual &&
+	! grep "$msg$" actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'git branch -C main should work when main is checked out' '
@@ -1143,14 +1143,14 @@ test_expect_success '--set-upstream-to notices an error to set branch as own ups
 
 # Keep this test last, as it changes the current branch
 cat >expect <<EOF
-$ZERO_OID $HEAD $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> 1117150200 +0000	branch: Created from main
+$HEAD refs/heads/g/h/i@{0}: branch: Created from main
 EOF
 test_expect_success 'git checkout -b g/h/i -l should create a branch and a log' '
 	GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="2005-05-26 23:30" \
 	git checkout -b g/h/i -l main &&
 	test_ref_exists refs/heads/g/h/i &&
-	test_path_is_file .git/logs/refs/heads/g/h/i &&
-	test_cmp expect .git/logs/refs/heads/g/h/i
+	git reflog show --no-abbrev-commit refs/heads/g/h/i >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'checkout -b makes reflog by default' '
