diff --git a/acceptance/testdata/repos/repo-clone.txtar b/acceptance/testdata/repos/repo-clone.txtar
index f08953be1..b90a0894b 100644
--- a/acceptance/testdata/repos/repo-clone.txtar
+++ b/acceptance/testdata/repos/repo-clone.txtar
@@ -8,5 +8,4 @@ defer gh repo delete --yes $ORG/$SCRIPT_NAME-$RANDOM_STRING
 exec gh repo clone $ORG/$SCRIPT_NAME-$RANDOM_STRING
 
 # Ensure the repo was cloned
-exec ls $SCRIPT_NAME-$RANDOM_STRING
-stdout README.md
+exists $SCRIPT_NAME-$RANDOM_STRING/README.md
diff --git a/acceptance/testdata/repos/repo-fork-sync.txtar b/acceptance/testdata/repos/repo-fork-sync.txtar
index 8bc437567..5b2362ffe 100644
--- a/acceptance/testdata/repos/repo-fork-sync.txtar
+++ b/acceptance/testdata/repos/repo-fork-sync.txtar
@@ -30,15 +30,13 @@ exec git push
 # Checkout the forked repo and ensure asset.txt is not present
 cd ../$SCRIPT_NAME-$RANDOM_STRING-fork
 exec git checkout main
-exec ls
-! stdout asset.txt
+! exists asset.txt
 
 # Sync the forked repo with the original repo
 exec gh repo sync
 
 # Check that asset.txt now exists in the fork
-exec ls
-stdout asset.txt
+exists asset.txt
 
 -- asset.txt --
 Hello, world!