diff --git a/crates/nu-test-support/src/fs.rs b/crates/nu-test-support/src/fs.rs
index 44900d0585..9dcedd3557 100644
--- a/crates/nu-test-support/src/fs.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-test-support/src/fs.rs
@@ -226,10 +226,12 @@ pub fn executable_path() -> PathBuf {
 }
 
 pub fn binaries() -> PathBuf {
-    let mut path = PathBuf::new();
-    path.push("target");
-    path.push("debug");
-    path
+    PathBuf::from(env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"))
+        .parent()
+        .expect("Couldn't find the debug binaries directory")
+        .parent()
+        .expect("Couldn't find the debug binaries directory")
+        .join("target/debug")
 }
 
 pub fn in_directory(str: impl AsRef<Path>) -> String {
diff --git a/crates/nu-test-support/src/macros.rs b/crates/nu-test-support/src/macros.rs
index 3d255bcdf6..00bc59ba6c 100644
--- a/crates/nu-test-support/src/macros.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-test-support/src/macros.rs
@@ -28,7 +28,18 @@ macro_rules! nu {
             $crate::fs::DisplayPath::display_path(&$path)
         );
 
+        let dummies = $crate::fs::binaries();
+        let dummies = dunce::canonicalize(&dummies).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+            panic!(
+                "Couldn't canonicalize dummy binaries path {}: {:?}",
+                dummies.display(),
+                e
+            )
+        });
+
         let mut process = match Command::new($crate::fs::executable_path())
+            .env_clear()
+            .env("PATH", dummies)
             .stdin(Stdio::piped())
             .stdout(Stdio::piped())
             .spawn()
@@ -85,7 +96,18 @@ macro_rules! nu_error {
             $crate::fs::DisplayPath::display_path(&$path)
         );
 
+        let dummies = $crate::fs::binaries();
+        let dummies = dunce::canonicalize(&dummies).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+            panic!(
+                "Couldn't canonicalize dummy binaries path {}: {:?}",
+                dummies.display(),
+                e
+            )
+        });
+
         let mut process = Command::new($crate::fs::executable_path())
+            .env_clear()
+            .env("PATH", dummies)
             .stdout(Stdio::piped())
             .stdin(Stdio::piped())
             .stderr(Stdio::piped())
diff --git a/tests/shell/mod.rs b/tests/shell/mod.rs
index b4bf72146c..4751001022 100644
--- a/tests/shell/mod.rs
+++ b/tests/shell/mod.rs
@@ -1,102 +1,38 @@
 mod pipeline {
-    use nu_test_support::fs::Stub::EmptyFile;
-    use nu_test_support::playground::Playground;
-    use nu_test_support::{nu, nu_error, pipeline};
+    use nu_test_support::{nu, nu_error};
 
     #[test]
-    fn can_process_row_as_it_argument_to_an_external_command_given_the_it_data_is_a_string() {
-        Playground::setup("it_argument_test_1", |dirs, sandbox| {
-            sandbox.with_files(vec![
-                EmptyFile("jonathan_likes_cake.txt"),
-                EmptyFile("andres_likes_arepas.txt"),
-            ]);
+    fn doesnt_break_on_utf8() {
+        let actual = nu!(cwd: ".", "echo ö");
 
-            let actual = nu!(
-                cwd: dirs.test(), pipeline(
-                r#"
-                    ls
-                    | sort-by name
-                    | get name
-                    | ^echo $it
-                "#
-            ));
-
-            #[cfg(windows)]
-            assert_eq!(actual, "andres_likes_arepas.txt jonathan_likes_cake.txt");
-
-            #[cfg(not(windows))]
-            assert_eq!(actual, "andres_likes_arepas.txtjonathan_likes_cake.txt");
-        })
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn doesnt_break_on_utf8_command() {
-        let actual = nu!(
-            cwd: ".", pipeline(
-            r#"
-                echo ö
-            "#
-        ));
-
-        assert!(
-            actual.contains("ö"),
-            format!("'{}' should contain ö", actual)
-        );
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn can_process_row_as_it_argument_to_an_external_command_given_the_it_data_is_one_string_line()
-    {
-        Playground::setup("it_argument_test_2", |dirs, sandbox| {
-            sandbox.with_files(vec![
-                EmptyFile("jonathan_likes_cake.txt"),
-                EmptyFile("andres_likes_arepas.txt"),
-            ]);
-
-            let actual = nu!(
-                cwd: dirs.test(), pipeline(
-                r#"
-                    ls
-                    | sort-by name
-                    | get name
-                    | lines
-                    | ^echo $it
-                "#
-            ));
-
-            #[cfg(windows)]
-            assert_eq!(actual, "andres_likes_arepas.txt jonathan_likes_cake.txt");
-
-            #[cfg(not(windows))]
-            assert_eq!(actual, "andres_likes_arepas.txtjonathan_likes_cake.txt");
-        })
+        assert_eq!(actual, "ö", "'{}' should contain ö", actual);
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn can_process_stdout_of_external_piped_to_stdin_of_external() {
         let actual = nu!(
-            cwd: "tests/fixtures",
-            "^echo 1 | ^cat"
+            cwd: ".",
+            r#"cococo "nushelll" | chop"#
         );
 
-        assert!(actual.contains("1"));
+        assert_eq!(actual, "nushell");
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn can_process_row_from_internal_piped_to_stdin_of_external() {
+    fn can_process_one_row_from_internal_piped_to_stdin_of_external() {
         let actual = nu!(
-            cwd: "tests/fixtures",
-            "echo \"1\" | ^cat"
+            cwd: ".",
+            r#"echo "nushelll" | chop"#
         );
 
-        assert!(actual.contains("1"));
+        assert_eq!(actual, "nushell");
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn shows_error_for_external_command_that_fails() {
         let actual = nu_error!(
-            cwd: "tests/fixtures",
-            "^false"
+            cwd: ".",
+            "fail"
         );
 
         assert!(actual.contains("External command failed"));
@@ -108,9 +44,9 @@ mod pipeline {
         #[test]
         fn as_home_directory_when_passed_as_argument_and_begins_with_tilde_to_an_external() {
             let actual = nu!(
-                cwd: std::path::PathBuf::from("."),
+                cwd: ".",
                 r#"
-                    sh -c "echo ~"
+                    cococo ~
                 "#
             );
 
@@ -123,9 +59,9 @@ mod pipeline {
         #[test]
         fn does_not_expand_when_passed_as_argument_and_does_not_start_with_tilde_to_an_external() {
             let actual = nu!(
-                cwd: std::path::PathBuf::from("."),
+                cwd: ".",
                 r#"
-                    sh -c "echo 1~1"
+                    cococo "1~1"
                 "#
             );