diff --git a/tests/wait.expect b/tests/wait.expect
index 4eb6ec74b..94870f517 100644
--- a/tests/wait.expect
+++ b/tests/wait.expect
@@ -25,14 +25,14 @@ send_line "jobs"
 expect_prompt "jobs: There are no jobs" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
 
 # one job id specified
-set error_msg "one job id specified: Fail"
+set error_msg "one job id specified"
 
-send_line "sleep 3 &; set pid1 \$last_pid; sleep 1 &; set pid2 \$last_pid; sleep 2 &; set pid3 \$last_pid;"
+send_line "sleep 3 &; sleep 1 &; sleep 2 &"
 expect_prompt
-send_line "wait \$pid3"
-expect "Job 3, 'sleep 1 &' has ended" {} timeout { puts stderr $error_msg }
-expect_prompt "Job 4, 'sleep 2 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
-send_line "wait \$pid1"
+send_line "wait %3"
+expect "Job 2, 'sleep 1 &' has ended" {} timeout { puts stderr $error_msg }
+expect_prompt "Job 3, 'sleep 2 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
+send_line "wait %1"
 expect_prompt "Job 1, 'sleep 3 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
 send_line "jobs"
 expect_prompt "jobs: There are no jobs" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
@@ -40,25 +40,25 @@ expect_prompt "jobs: There are no jobs" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
 # three job ids specified
 set error_msg "three job ids specified: Fail"
 
-send_line "sleep 3 &; set pid1 \$last_pid; sleep 1 &; set pid2 \$last_pid; sleep 2 &; set pid3 \$last_pid; sleep 4 &; set pid4 \$last_pid;"
+send_line "sleep 3 &; sleep 1 &; sleep 2 &; sleep 4 &;"
 expect_prompt
-send_line "wait \$pid1 \$pid3 \$pid4"
-expect "Job 3, 'sleep 1 &' has ended" {} timeout { puts stderr $error_msg }
-expect "Job 4, 'sleep 2 &' has ended" {} timeout { puts stderr $error_msg }
+send_line "wait %1 %3 %4"
+expect "Job 2, 'sleep 1 &' has ended" {} timeout { puts stderr $error_msg }
+expect "Job 3, 'sleep 2 &' has ended" {} timeout { puts stderr $error_msg }
 expect "Job 1, 'sleep 3 &' has ended" {} timeout { puts stderr $error_msg }
-expect_prompt "Job 5, 'sleep 4 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
+expect_prompt "Job 4, 'sleep 4 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
 send_line "jobs"
 expect_prompt "jobs: There are no jobs" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
 
 # wait with -n option
 set error_msg "wait with -n option: Fail"
 
-send_line "sleep 3 &; set pid1 \$last_pid; sleep 1 &; set pid2 \$last_pid; sleep 2 &; set pid3 \$last_pid;"
+send_line "sleep 3 &; sleep 1 &; sleep 2 &"
 expect_prompt
 send_line "wait -n"
-expect_prompt "Job 3, 'sleep 1 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
+expect_prompt "Job 2, 'sleep 1 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
 send_line "wait -n"
-expect_prompt "Job 4, 'sleep 2 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
+expect_prompt "Job 3, 'sleep 2 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
 send_line "wait -n"
 expect_prompt "Job 1, 'sleep 3 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
 send_line "jobs"
@@ -67,12 +67,12 @@ expect_prompt "jobs: There are no jobs" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
 # specify job ids with -n option
 set error_msg "specify job ids with -n option: Fail"
 
-send_line "sleep 3 &; set pid1 \$last_pid; sleep 1 &; set pid2 \$last_pid; sleep 2 &; set pid3 \$last_pid;"
+send_line "sleep 3 &; sleep 1 &; sleep 2 &"
 expect_prompt
-send_line "wait -n \$pid1 \$pid3"
-expect "Job 3, 'sleep 1 &' has ended" {} timeout { puts stderr $error_msg }
-expect_prompt "Job 4, 'sleep 2 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
-send_line "wait -n \$pid1"
+send_line "wait -n %1 %3"
+expect "Job 2, 'sleep 1 &' has ended" {} timeout { puts stderr $error_msg }
+expect_prompt "Job 3, 'sleep 2 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
+send_line "wait -n %1"
 expect_prompt "Job 1, 'sleep 3 &' has ended" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
 send_line "jobs"
 expect_prompt "jobs: There are no jobs" {} unmatched { puts stderr $error_msg }
@@ -82,15 +82,15 @@ set error_msg "don't wait stopped jobs: Fail"
 
 send_line "sleep 3 &"
 expect_prompt
-send_line "kill -STOP \$last_pid"
+send_line "kill -STOP %1"
 expect_prompt
 send_line "wait"
 expect_prompt
-send_line "wait \$last_pid"
+send_line "wait %1"
 expect_prompt
 send_line "wait -n"
 expect_prompt
-send_line "bg \$last_pid"
+send_line "bg %1"
 expect_prompt
 send_line "wait"
 expect_prompt