diff --git a/tests/abbr.status b/tests/abbr.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/abbr.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/bind.expect.status b/tests/bind.expect.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/bind.expect.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/commandline.expect.status b/tests/commandline.expect.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/commandline.expect.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/expansion.status b/tests/expansion.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/expansion.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/fish_realpath.status b/tests/fish_realpath.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/fish_realpath.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/fkr.expect.status b/tests/fkr.expect.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/fkr.expect.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/function.status b/tests/function.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/function.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/generic.expect.status b/tests/generic.expect.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/generic.expect.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/indent.status b/tests/indent.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/indent.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/interactive.fish b/tests/interactive.fish
index 76b0562e3..8f386f8b7 100644
--- a/tests/interactive.fish
+++ b/tests/interactive.fish
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ function test_file
         set -lx TERM dumb
         expect -n -c 'source interactive.expect.rc' -f $file >$file.tmp.out ^$file.tmp.err
     end
-    set -l tmp_status $status
+    set -l exit_status $status
     set -l res ok
     mv -f interactive.tmp.log $file.tmp.log
 
@@ -41,9 +41,8 @@ function test_file
     set -l out_status $status
     diff $file.tmp.err $file.err >/dev/null
     set -l err_status $status
-    set -l exp_status (cat $file.status)[1]
 
-    if test $out_status -eq 0 -a $err_status -eq 0 -a $exp_status -eq $tmp_status
+    if test $out_status -eq 0 -a $err_status -eq 0 -a $exit_status -eq 0
         say green "ok"
         # clean up tmp files
         rm -f $file.tmp.{err,out,log}
@@ -58,9 +57,9 @@ function test_file
             say yellow "Error output differs for file $file. Diff follows:"
             colordiff -u $file.tmp.err $file.err
         end
-        if test $exp_status -ne $tmp_status
+        if test $exit_status -ne 0
             say yellow "Exit status differs for file $file."
-            echo "Expected $exp_status, got $tmp_status."
+            echo "Unexpected test exit status $exit_status."
         end
         if set -q SHOW_INTERACTIVE_LOG
             # dump the interactive log
diff --git a/tests/jobs.in b/tests/jobs.in
index 14ed51819..ad0b002e7 100644
--- a/tests/jobs.in
+++ b/tests/jobs.in
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ sleep 1 &
 sleep 1 &
 jobs -c
 bg 3
-fg 3
\ No newline at end of file
+fg 3
+or exit 0
diff --git a/tests/jobs.status b/tests/jobs.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 56a6051ca..000000000
--- a/tests/jobs.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/line-continuation.status b/tests/line-continuation.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/line-continuation.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/locale.status b/tests/locale.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/locale.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/math.status b/tests/math.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/math.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/printf.status b/tests/printf.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/printf.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/read.expect.status b/tests/read.expect.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/read.expect.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/read.status b/tests/read.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/read.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/status.status b/tests/status.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/status.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/string.status b/tests/string.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/string.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/test.fish b/tests/test.fish
index 0af92413a..005968af3 100644
--- a/tests/test.fish
+++ b/tests/test.fish
@@ -25,16 +25,15 @@ function test_file
     echo -n "Testing file $file ... "
 
     ../test/root/bin/fish <$file >$base.tmp.out ^$base.tmp.err
-    set -l tmp_status $status
+    set -l exit_status $status
     set -l res ok
 
     diff $base.tmp.out $base.out >/dev/null
     set -l out_status $status
     diff $base.tmp.err $base.err >/dev/null
     set -l err_status $status
-    set -l exp_status (cat $base.status)[1]
 
-    if test $out_status -eq 0 -a $err_status -eq 0 -a $exp_status -eq $tmp_status
+    if test $out_status -eq 0 -a $err_status -eq 0 -a $exit_status -eq 0
         say green "ok"
         # clean up tmp files
         rm -f $base.tmp.{err,out}
@@ -49,9 +48,9 @@ function test_file
             say yellow "Error output differs for file $file. Diff follows:"
             colordiff -u $base.tmp.err $base.err
         end
-        if test $exp_status -ne $tmp_status
+        if test $exit_status -ne 0
             say yellow "Exit status differs for file $file."
-            echo "Expected $exp_status, got $tmp_status."
+            echo "Unexpected test exit status $exit_status."
         end
         return 1
     end
diff --git a/tests/test1.status b/tests/test1.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/test1.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/test2.status b/tests/test2.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/test2.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/test3.status b/tests/test3.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/test3.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/test4.status b/tests/test4.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/test4.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/test5.status b/tests/test5.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/test5.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/test6.status b/tests/test6.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/test6.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/test7.status b/tests/test7.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/test7.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/test8.status b/tests/test8.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/test8.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/test9.in b/tests/test9.in
index 0643354fe..789d93f74 100644
--- a/tests/test9.in
+++ b/tests/test9.in
@@ -145,5 +145,3 @@ end
 # Comments abutting text (#953)
 echo not#a#comment
 echo is # a # comment
-
-false
diff --git a/tests/test9.status b/tests/test9.status
deleted file mode 100644
index d00491fd7..000000000
--- a/tests/test9.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-1