diff --git a/tests/test-alias.t b/tests/test-alias.t
--- a/tests/test-alias.t
+++ b/tests/test-alias.t
@@ -109,8 +109,10 @@ invalid options
 
 optional repository
 
+#if no-outer-repo
   $ hg optionalrepo
   init
+#endif
   $ cd alias
   $ cat > .hg/hgrc <<EOF
   > [alias]
diff --git a/tests/test-bundle.t b/tests/test-bundle.t
--- a/tests/test-bundle.t
+++ b/tests/test-bundle.t
@@ -388,6 +388,9 @@ Outgoing -R does-not-exist.hg vs partial
   [255]
   $ cd ..
 
+hide outer repo
+  $ hg init
+
 Direct clone from bundle (all-history)
 
   $ hg clone full.hg full-clone
diff --git a/tests/test-config-case.t b/tests/test-config-case.t
--- a/tests/test-config-case.t
+++ b/tests/test-config-case.t
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+hide outer repo
+  $ hg init
+
   $ echo '[Section]' >> $HGRCPATH
   $ echo 'KeY = Case Sensitive' >> $HGRCPATH
   $ echo 'key = lower case' >> $HGRCPATH
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-cvs.t b/tests/test-convert-cvs.t
--- a/tests/test-convert-cvs.t
+++ b/tests/test-convert-cvs.t
@@ -143,9 +143,9 @@ convert full repository (issue1649)
   sorting...
   converting...
   updating tags
-  $ hg cat -r tip srcfull-hg/src/a
+  $ hg cat -r tip --cwd srcfull-hg src/a
   a
-  $ hg cat -r tip srcfull-hg/src/b/c
+  $ hg cat -r tip --cwd srcfull-hg src/b/c
   c
   c
 
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-darcs.t b/tests/test-convert-darcs.t
--- a/tests/test-convert-darcs.t
+++ b/tests/test-convert-darcs.t
@@ -14,12 +14,16 @@ skip if we can't import elementtree
   >     exit 80
   > fi
 
+#if no-outer-repo
+
 try converting darcs1 repository
 
   $ hg clone -q "$TESTDIR/bundles/darcs1.hg" darcs
   $ hg convert -s darcs darcs/darcs1 2>&1 | grep darcs-1.0
   darcs-1.0 repository format is unsupported, please upgrade
 
+#endif
+
 initialize darcs repo
 
   $ mkdir darcs-repo
diff --git a/tests/test-hgrc.t b/tests/test-hgrc.t
--- a/tests/test-hgrc.t
+++ b/tests/test-hgrc.t
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+hide outer repo
+  $ hg init
+
 Use hgrc within $TESTTMP
 
   $ HGRCPATH=`pwd`/hgrc
@@ -63,6 +66,7 @@ issue1829: wrong indentation
 make sure global options given on the cmdline take precedence
 
   $ hg showconfig --config ui.verbose=True --quiet
+  bundle.mainreporoot=$TESTTMP
   ui.verbose=False
   ui.debug=False
   ui.quiet=True
@@ -93,6 +97,7 @@ username expansion
   $ cd ..
 
   $ hg showconfig
+  bundle.mainreporoot=$TESTTMP
   ui.username=$FAKEUSER
 
   $ unset FAKEUSER
@@ -117,7 +122,6 @@ showconfig with multiple arguments
 
 HGPLAIN
 
-  $ p=`pwd`
   $ echo "[ui]" > $HGRC
   $ echo "debug=true" >> $HGRC
   $ echo "fallbackencoding=ASCII" >> $HGRC
@@ -137,6 +141,7 @@ customized hgrc
   $ hg showconfig
   read config from: $TESTTMP/hgrc
   $TESTTMP/hgrc:13: alias.log=log -g
+  none: bundle.mainreporoot=$TESTTMP
   $TESTTMP/hgrc:11: defaults.identify=-n
   $TESTTMP/hgrc:2: ui.debug=true
   $TESTTMP/hgrc:3: ui.fallbackencoding=ASCII
@@ -152,6 +157,7 @@ plain hgrc
   $ HGPLAIN=; export HGPLAIN
   $ hg showconfig --config ui.traceback=True --debug
   read config from: $TESTTMP/hgrc
+  none: bundle.mainreporoot=$TESTTMP
   none: ui.traceback=True
   none: ui.verbose=False
   none: ui.debug=True
@@ -169,6 +175,7 @@ plain mode with exceptions
   $ hg showconfig --config ui.traceback=True --debug
   plain: True
   read config from: $TESTTMP/hgrc
+  none: bundle.mainreporoot=$TESTTMP
   $TESTTMP/hgrc:15: extensions.plain=./plain.py
   none: ui.traceback=True
   none: ui.verbose=False
@@ -178,6 +185,7 @@ plain mode with exceptions
   $ hg showconfig --config ui.traceback=True --debug
   plain: True
   read config from: $TESTTMP/hgrc
+  none: bundle.mainreporoot=$TESTTMP
   $TESTTMP/hgrc:15: extensions.plain=./plain.py
   none: ui.traceback=True
   none: ui.verbose=False
@@ -187,6 +195,7 @@ plain mode with exceptions
   $ hg showconfig --config ui.traceback=True --debug
   plain: True
   read config from: $TESTTMP/hgrc
+  none: bundle.mainreporoot=$TESTTMP
   $TESTTMP/hgrc:15: extensions.plain=./plain.py
   none: ui.traceback=True
   none: ui.verbose=False
diff --git a/tests/test-hgwebdir.t b/tests/test-hgwebdir.t
--- a/tests/test-hgwebdir.t
+++ b/tests/test-hgwebdir.t
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
   $ "$TESTDIR/hghave" serve || exit 80
 
+hide outer repo and work in dir without '.hg'
+  $ hg init
+  $ mkdir dir
+  $ cd dir
+
 Tests some basic hgwebdir functionality. Tests setting up paths and
 collection, different forms of 404s and the subdirectory support.
 
@@ -59,6 +64,8 @@ create repository without .hg/store
   $ rm -R nostore/.hg/store
   $ root=`pwd`
   $ cd ..
+
+serve
   $ cat > paths.conf <<EOF
   > [paths]
   > a=$root/a
diff --git a/tests/test-hgwebdirsym.t b/tests/test-hgwebdirsym.t
--- a/tests/test-hgwebdirsym.t
+++ b/tests/test-hgwebdirsym.t
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 Tests whether or not hgwebdir properly handles various symlink topologies.
 
   $ "$TESTDIR/hghave" serve symlink || exit 80
+
+hide outer repo
+  $ hg init
+
   $ hg init a
   $ echo a > a/a
   $ hg --cwd a ci -Ama -d'1 0'
diff --git a/tests/test-i18n.t b/tests/test-i18n.t
--- a/tests/test-i18n.t
+++ b/tests/test-i18n.t
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ Translations are optional:
 
   $ "$TESTDIR/hghave" gettext || exit 80
 
+#if no-outer-repo
+
 Test that translations are compiled and installed correctly.
 
 Default encoding in tests is "ascii" and the translation is encoded
@@ -23,6 +25,8 @@ Different encoding:
   abortado: n\xe3o foi encontrado um reposit\xf3rio em '$TESTTMP' (.hg n\xe3o encontrado)! (esc)
   [255]
 
+#endif
+
 Test keyword search in translated help text:
 
   $ HGENCODING=UTF-8 LANGUAGE=de hg help -k blättern
diff --git a/tests/test-keyword.t b/tests/test-keyword.t
--- a/tests/test-keyword.t
+++ b/tests/test-keyword.t
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
   > interactive = true
   > EOF
 
+hide outer repo
+  $ hg init
+
 Run kwdemo before [keyword] files are set up
 as it would succeed without uisetup otherwise
 
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-qclone-http.t b/tests/test-mq-qclone-http.t
--- a/tests/test-mq-qclone-http.t
+++ b/tests/test-mq-qclone-http.t
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
   $ "$TESTDIR/hghave" serve || exit 80
 
+hide outer repo
+  $ hg init
+
   $ echo "[extensions]" >> $HGRCPATH
   $ echo "mq=" >> $HGRCPATH
   $ mkdir webdir
diff --git a/tests/test-mq.t b/tests/test-mq.t
--- a/tests/test-mq.t
+++ b/tests/test-mq.t
@@ -211,6 +211,8 @@ try the --mq option on a command provide
 
   $ cd ..
 
+#if no-outer-repo
+
 init --mq without repo
 
   $ mkdir f
@@ -220,6 +222,8 @@ init --mq without repo
   [255]
   $ cd ..
 
+#endif
+
 init --mq with repo path
 
   $ hg init g
diff --git a/tests/test-ssh.t b/tests/test-ssh.t
--- a/tests/test-ssh.t
+++ b/tests/test-ssh.t
@@ -271,6 +271,9 @@ results here)
 
   $ cd ..
 
+hide outer repo
+  $ hg init
+
 Test remote paths with spaces (issue2983):
 
   $ hg init --ssh "python \"$TESTDIR/dummyssh\"" "ssh://user@dummy/a repo"
diff --git a/tests/test-subrepo-relative-path.t b/tests/test-subrepo-relative-path.t
--- a/tests/test-subrepo-relative-path.t
+++ b/tests/test-subrepo-relative-path.t
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ Cleaning both repositories, just as a cl
   0 files updated, 0 files merged, 3 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   $ rm -rf main/sub
 
+hide outer repo
+  $ hg init
+
 Serving them both using hgweb
 
   $ printf '[paths]\n/main = main\nsub = sub\n' > webdir.conf
diff --git a/tests/test-symlink-os-yes-fs-no.py b/tests/test-symlink-os-yes-fs-no.py
--- a/tests/test-symlink-os-yes-fs-no.py
+++ b/tests/test-symlink-os-yes-fs-no.py
@@ -8,8 +8,11 @@ BUNDLEPATH = os.path.join(TESTDIR, 'bund
 if not getattr(os, "symlink", False):
     sys.exit(80) # SKIPPED_STATUS defined in run-tests.py
 
+u = ui.ui()
+# hide outer repo
+hg.peer(u, {}, '.', create=True)
+
 # clone with symlink support
-u = ui.ui()
 hg.clone(u, {}, BUNDLEPATH, 'test0')
 
 repo = hg.repository(u, 'test0')