diff --git a/tests/pexpects/commandline.py b/tests/pexpects/commandline.py
index eab95106c..9cfac3799 100644
--- a/tests/pexpects/commandline.py
+++ b/tests/pexpects/commandline.py
@@ -68,15 +68,15 @@ send("echo process1; echo process2")
 send(control("a"))
 send(control("b"))
 send(control("k"))
-sendline("echo first process is <$tmp>")
-expect_str("first process is <echo process1>")
+sendline("echo first process is [$tmp]")
+expect_str("first process is [echo process1]")
 
 send("echo process # comment")
 send(control("a"))
 send(control("b"))
 send(control("k"))
-sendline('echo "process extent is <$tmp>"')
-expect_str("process extent is <echo process # comment>")
+sendline('echo "process extent is [$tmp]"')
+expect_str("process extent is [echo process # comment]")
 
 sendline(r"bind \cb 'set tmp (commandline --current-process | count)'")
 sendline(r'commandline "echo line1 \\" "# comment" "line2"')