diff --git a/tests/libtest.sh b/tests/libtest.sh
index 73e88891..1ae04a74 100755
--- a/tests/libtest.sh
+++ b/tests/libtest.sh
@@ -150,6 +150,8 @@ setup_test_repository () {
     export OSTREE="${CMD_PREFIX} ostree ${ot_repo}"
 
     cd ${test_tmpdir}
+    local oldumask="$(umask)"
+    umask 022
     mkdir files
     cd files
     ot_files=`pwd`
@@ -172,6 +174,7 @@ setup_test_repository () {
     ln -s nonexistent baz/alink
     mkdir baz/another/
     echo x > baz/another/y
+    umask "${oldumask}"
 
     cd ${test_tmpdir}/files
     $OSTREE commit ${COMMIT_ARGS}  -b test2 -s "Test Commit 2" -m "Commit body second"
diff --git a/tests/test-basic-user.sh b/tests/test-basic-user.sh
index 94866550..291806c8 100755
--- a/tests/test-basic-user.sh
+++ b/tests/test-basic-user.sh
@@ -34,11 +34,7 @@ setup_test_repository "bare-user"
 
 cd ${test_tmpdir}
 objpath_nonexec=$(ostree_file_path_to_object_path repo test2 baz/cow)
-# Sigh, umask
-touch testfile
-default_mode=$(stat -c '%a' testfile)
-rm testfile
-assert_file_has_mode ${objpath_nonexec} ${default_mode}
+assert_file_has_mode ${objpath_nonexec} 644
 objpath_ro=$(ostree_file_path_to_object_path repo test2 baz/cowro)
 assert_file_has_mode ${objpath_ro} 600
 objpath_exec=$(ostree_file_path_to_object_path repo test2 baz/deeper/ohyeahx)
@@ -48,7 +44,7 @@ echo "ok bare-user committed modes"
 rm test2-checkout -rf
 $OSTREE checkout -U -H test2 test2-checkout
 cd test2-checkout
-assert_file_has_mode baz/cow ${default_mode}
+assert_file_has_mode baz/cow 644
 assert_file_has_mode baz/cowro 600
 assert_file_has_mode baz/deeper/ohyeahx 755
 echo "ok bare-user checkout modes"