diff --git a/tests/test-convert-cvs b/tests/test-convert-cvs
--- a/tests/test-convert-cvs
+++ b/tests/test-convert-cvs
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@ echo "cvsps=cvsps -A -u --cvs-direct -q"
 echo % create cvs repository
 mkdir cvsrepo
 cd cvsrepo
-export CVSROOT=`pwd`
-export CVS_OPTIONS=-f
+CVSROOT=`pwd`
+export CVSROOT
+CVS_OPTIONS=-f
+export CVS_OPTIONS
 cd ..
 
 cvscall -q -d "$CVSROOT" init
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-cvs-branch b/tests/test-convert-cvs-branch
--- a/tests/test-convert-cvs-branch
+++ b/tests/test-convert-cvs-branch
@@ -19,8 +19,10 @@ echo "cvsps.cache=0" >> $HGRCPATH
 echo % create cvs repository
 mkdir cvsrepo
 cd cvsrepo
-export CVSROOT=`pwd`
-export CVS_OPTIONS=-f
+CVSROOT=`pwd`
+export CVSROOT
+CVS_OPTIONS=-f
+export CVS_OPTIONS
 cd ..
 
 cvscall -q -d "$CVSROOT" init
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-cvs-builtincvsps b/tests/test-convert-cvs-builtincvsps
--- a/tests/test-convert-cvs-builtincvsps
+++ b/tests/test-convert-cvs-builtincvsps
@@ -21,8 +21,10 @@ echo "cvsps=builtin" >> $HGRCPATH
 echo % create cvs repository
 mkdir cvsrepo
 cd cvsrepo
-export CVSROOT=`pwd`
-export CVS_OPTIONS=-f
+CVSROOT=`pwd`
+export CVSROOT
+CVS_OPTIONS=-f
+export CVS_OPTIONS
 cd ..
 
 cvscall -q -d "$CVSROOT" init
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-cvs-builtincvsps-cvsnt-mergepoints b/tests/test-convert-cvs-builtincvsps-cvsnt-mergepoints
--- a/tests/test-convert-cvs-builtincvsps-cvsnt-mergepoints
+++ b/tests/test-convert-cvs-builtincvsps-cvsnt-mergepoints
@@ -21,8 +21,10 @@ echo "cvsps=builtin" >> $HGRCPATH
 echo % create cvs repository
 mkdir cvsmaster
 cd cvsmaster
-export CVSROOT=`pwd`
-export CVS_OPTIONS=-f
+CVSROOT=`pwd`
+export CVSROOT
+CVS_OPTIONS=-f
+export CVS_OPTIONS
 cd ..
 
 cvscall -q -d "$CVSROOT" init
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-cvs-detectmerge b/tests/test-convert-cvs-detectmerge
--- a/tests/test-convert-cvs-detectmerge
+++ b/tests/test-convert-cvs-detectmerge
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 
 "$TESTDIR/hghave" cvs || exit 80
 
-export CVSROOT=`pwd`/cvsrepo
+CVSROOT=`pwd`/cvsrepo
+export CVSROOT
 
 # XXX copied from test-convert-cvs-synthetic
 cvscall()
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-cvs-synthetic b/tests/test-convert-cvs-synthetic
--- a/tests/test-convert-cvs-synthetic
+++ b/tests/test-convert-cvs-synthetic
@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@ echo "cvsps=builtin" >> $HGRCPATH
 echo % create cvs repository with one project
 mkdir cvsrepo
 cd cvsrepo
-export CVSROOT=`pwd`
-export CVS_OPTIONS=-f
+CVSROOT=`pwd`
+export CVSROOT
+CVS_OPTIONS=-f
+export CVS_OPTIONS
 cd ..
 
 filterpath()