diff --git a/contrib/check-code.py b/contrib/check-code.py
--- a/contrib/check-code.py
+++ b/contrib/check-code.py
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ testfilters = [
 
 uprefix = r"^  \$ "
 utestpats = [
+    (uprefix + r'.*\|\s*sed', "use regex test output patterns instead of sed"),
     (uprefix + r'(true|exit 0)', "explicit zero exit unnecessary"),
     (uprefix + r'.*\$\?', "explicit exit code checks unnecessary"),
     (uprefix + r'.*\|\| echo.*(fail|error)',
diff --git a/tests/test-archive.t b/tests/test-archive.t
--- a/tests/test-archive.t
+++ b/tests/test-archive.t
@@ -74,23 +74,23 @@ invalid arch type should give 404
   >                     % (os.environ['HGPORT'], node, archive))
   > sys.stdout.write(f.read())
   > EOF
-  $ python getarchive.py "$TIP" gz | gunzip | tar tf - 2>/dev/null | sed "s/$QTIP/TIP/"
-  test-archive-TIP/.hg_archival.txt
-  test-archive-TIP/bar
-  test-archive-TIP/baz/bletch
-  test-archive-TIP/foo
-  $ python getarchive.py "$TIP" bz2 | bunzip2 | tar tf - 2>/dev/null | sed "s/$QTIP/TIP/"
-  test-archive-TIP/.hg_archival.txt
-  test-archive-TIP/bar
-  test-archive-TIP/baz/bletch
-  test-archive-TIP/foo
+  $ python getarchive.py "$TIP" gz | gunzip | tar tf - 2>/dev/null
+  test-archive-2c0277f05ed4/.hg_archival.txt
+  test-archive-2c0277f05ed4/bar
+  test-archive-2c0277f05ed4/baz/bletch
+  test-archive-2c0277f05ed4/foo
+  $ python getarchive.py "$TIP" bz2 | bunzip2 | tar tf - 2>/dev/null
+  test-archive-2c0277f05ed4/.hg_archival.txt
+  test-archive-2c0277f05ed4/bar
+  test-archive-2c0277f05ed4/baz/bletch
+  test-archive-2c0277f05ed4/foo
   $ python getarchive.py "$TIP" zip > archive.zip
-  $ unzip -t archive.zip | sed "s/$QTIP/TIP/"
+  $ unzip -t archive.zip
   Archive:  archive.zip
-      testing: test-archive-TIP/.hg_archival.txt   OK
-      testing: test-archive-TIP/bar   OK
-      testing: test-archive-TIP/baz/bletch   OK
-      testing: test-archive-TIP/foo   OK
+      testing: test-archive-2c0277f05ed4/.hg_archival.txt   OK
+      testing: test-archive-2c0277f05ed4/bar   OK
+      testing: test-archive-2c0277f05ed4/baz/bletch   OK
+      testing: test-archive-2c0277f05ed4/foo   OK
   No errors detected in compressed data of archive.zip.
 
   $ "$TESTDIR/killdaemons.py"
@@ -109,11 +109,11 @@ invalid arch type should give 404
   test/foo
 
   $ hg archive -t tgz -p %b-%h test-%h.tar.gz
-  $ gzip -dc test-$QTIP.tar.gz | tar tf - 2>/dev/null | sed "s/$QTIP/TIP/"
-  test-TIP/.hg_archival.txt
-  test-TIP/bar
-  test-TIP/baz/bletch
-  test-TIP/foo
+  $ gzip -dc test-$QTIP.tar.gz | tar tf - 2>/dev/null
+  test-2c0277f05ed4/.hg_archival.txt
+  test-2c0277f05ed4/bar
+  test-2c0277f05ed4/baz/bletch
+  test-2c0277f05ed4/foo
 
   $ hg archive autodetected_test.tar
   $ tar tf autodetected_test.tar
@@ -175,11 +175,11 @@ archives and rename them afterwards.
       testing: test/foo                 OK
   No errors detected in compressed data of test.zip.
 
-  $ hg archive -t tar - | tar tf - 2>/dev/null | sed "s/$QTIP/TIP/"
-  test-TIP/.hg_archival.txt
-  test-TIP/bar
-  test-TIP/baz/bletch
-  test-TIP/foo
+  $ hg archive -t tar - | tar tf - 2>/dev/null
+  test-2c0277f05ed4/.hg_archival.txt
+  test-2c0277f05ed4/bar
+  test-2c0277f05ed4/baz/bletch
+  test-2c0277f05ed4/foo
 
   $ hg archive -r 0 -t tar rev-%r.tar
   $ if [ -f rev-0.tar ]; then
diff --git a/tests/test-bisect.t b/tests/test-bisect.t
--- a/tests/test-bisect.t
+++ b/tests/test-bisect.t
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ skip
   $ hg bisect -g tip
   $ hg bisect -b tip
   abort: starting revisions are not directly related
+  [255]
 
   $ hg bisect -r
   $ hg bisect -g null
@@ -349,6 +350,7 @@ test no action
   $ hg bisect -r
   $ hg bisect
   abort: cannot bisect (no known good revisions)
+  [255]
 
 
 reproduce AssertionError, issue1445
diff --git a/tests/test-export.t b/tests/test-export.t
--- a/tests/test-export.t
+++ b/tests/test-export.t
@@ -81,13 +81,13 @@
 Exporting 4 changesets to a file:
 
   $ hg export -o export_internal 1 2 3 4
-  $ grep HG export_internal | wc -l | sed -e 's/^ *//'
-  4
+  $ grep HG export_internal | wc -l
+  \s*4
 
 Exporting 4 changesets to a file:
 
-  $ hg export 1 2 3 4 | grep HG | wc -l | sed -e 's/^ *//'
-  4
+  $ hg export 1 2 3 4 | grep HG | wc -l
+  \s*4
 
 Exporting revision -2 to a file:
 
diff --git a/tests/test-hgignore.t b/tests/test-hgignore.t
--- a/tests/test-hgignore.t
+++ b/tests/test-hgignore.t
@@ -43,8 +43,9 @@ Should display baz only:
   ? syntax
 
   $ echo "*.o" > .hgignore
-  $ hg status 2>&1 | sed -e 's/abort: .*\.hgignore:/abort: .hgignore:/'
-  abort: .hgignore: invalid pattern (relre): *.o
+  $ hg status
+  abort: .*/.hgignore: invalid pattern \(relre\): \*.o
+  [255]
 
   $ echo ".*\.o" > .hgignore
   $  hg status
@@ -86,8 +87,8 @@ Check it does not ignore the current dir
   ? syntax
 
   $ echo "syntax: invalid" > .hgignore
-  $ hg status 2>&1 | sed -e 's/.*\.hgignore:/.hgignore:/'
-  .hgignore: ignoring invalid syntax 'invalid'
+  $ hg status
+  .*/.hgignore: ignoring invalid syntax 'invalid'
   A dir/b.o
   ? .hgignore
   ? a.c
diff --git a/tests/test-hgrc.t b/tests/test-hgrc.t
--- a/tests/test-hgrc.t
+++ b/tests/test-hgrc.t
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
   $ echo "invalid" > $HGRCPATH
-  $ hg version 2>&1 | sed -e "s|$HGRCPATH|\$HGRCPATH|"
-  hg: parse error at $HGRCPATH:1: invalid
+  $ hg version
+  hg: parse error at .*/\.hgrc:1: invalid
+  [255]
   $ echo "" > $HGRCPATH
 
 issue1199: escaping
@@ -11,22 +12,23 @@ issue1199: escaping
   0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   $ p=`pwd`
   $ cd foobar
-  $ cat .hg/hgrc | sed -e "s:$p:...:"
+  $ cat .hg/hgrc
   [paths]
-  default = .../foo%bar
-  $ hg paths | sed -e "s:$p:...:"
-  default = .../foo%bar
-  $ hg showconfig | sed -e "s:$p:...:"
-  bundle.mainreporoot=.../foobar
-  paths.default=.../foo%bar
+  default = .*/foo%bar
+  $ hg paths
+  default = .*/foo%bar
+  $ hg showconfig
+  bundle.mainreporoot=.*/foobar
+  paths.default=.*/foo%bar
   $ cd ..
 
 issue1829: wrong indentation
 
   $ echo '[foo]' > $HGRCPATH
   $ echo '  x = y' >> $HGRCPATH
-  $ hg version 2>&1 | sed -e "s|$HGRCPATH|\$HGRCPATH|"
-  hg: parse error at $HGRCPATH:2:   x = y
+  $ hg version
+  hg: parse error at .*/\.hgrc:2:   x = y
+  [255]
 
   $ python -c "print '[foo]\nbar = a\n b\n c \n  de\n fg \nbaz = bif cb \n'" \
   > > $HGRCPATH
@@ -37,8 +39,9 @@ issue1829: wrong indentation
   $ FAKEPATH=/path/to/nowhere
   $ export FAKEPATH
   $ echo '%include $FAKEPATH/no-such-file' > $HGRCPATH
-  $ hg version 2>&1 | sed -e "s|$HGRCPATH|\$HGRCPATH|"
-  hg: parse error at $HGRCPATH:1: cannot include /path/to/nowhere/no-such-file (No such file or directory)
+  $ hg version
+  hg: parse error at .*/.hgrc:1: cannot include /path/to/nowhere/no-such-file \(No such file or directory\)
+  [255]
   $ unset FAKEPATH
 
 username expansion
@@ -86,24 +89,24 @@ HGPLAIN
 
 customized hgrc
 
-  $ hg showconfig | sed -e "s:$p:...:"
-  read config from: .../.hgrc
-  .../.hgrc:13: alias.log=log -g
-  .../.hgrc:11: defaults.identify=-n
-  .../.hgrc:2: ui.debug=true
-  .../.hgrc:3: ui.fallbackencoding=ASCII
-  .../.hgrc:4: ui.quiet=true
-  .../.hgrc:5: ui.slash=true
-  .../.hgrc:6: ui.traceback=true
-  .../.hgrc:7: ui.verbose=true
-  .../.hgrc:8: ui.style=~/.hgstyle
-  .../.hgrc:9: ui.logtemplate={node}
+  $ hg showconfig
+  read config from: .*/.hgrc
+  .*/.hgrc:13: alias.log=log -g
+  .*/.hgrc:11: defaults.identify=-n
+  .*/.hgrc:2: ui.debug=true
+  .*/.hgrc:3: ui.fallbackencoding=ASCII
+  .*/.hgrc:4: ui.quiet=true
+  .*/.hgrc:5: ui.slash=true
+  .*/.hgrc:6: ui.traceback=true
+  .*/.hgrc:7: ui.verbose=true
+  .*/.hgrc:8: ui.style=~/.hgstyle
+  .*/.hgrc:9: ui.logtemplate={node}
 
 plain hgrc
 
   $ HGPLAIN=; export HGPLAIN
-  $ hg showconfig --config ui.traceback=True --debug | sed -e "s:$p:...:"
-  read config from: .../.hgrc
+  $ hg showconfig --config ui.traceback=True --debug
+  read config from: .*/.hgrc
   none: ui.traceback=True
   none: ui.verbose=False
   none: ui.debug=True
diff --git a/tests/test-import.t b/tests/test-import.t
--- a/tests/test-import.t
+++ b/tests/test-import.t
@@ -380,7 +380,8 @@ hg import in a subdirectory
   added 1 changesets with 2 changes to 2 files
   updating to branch default
   2 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
-  $ hg --cwd a export tip | sed -e 's/d1\/d2\///' > tip.patch
+  $ hg --cwd a export tip > tmp
+  $ sed -e 's/d1\/d2\///' < tmp > tip.patch
   $ dir=`pwd`
   $ cd b/d1/d2 2>&1 > /dev/null
   $ hg import  ../../../tip.patch
diff --git a/tests/test-incoming-outgoing.t b/tests/test-incoming-outgoing.t
--- a/tests/test-incoming-outgoing.t
+++ b/tests/test-incoming-outgoing.t
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
 
 http incoming
 
-  $ hg -R new incoming http://localhost:$HGPORT/ | sed -e "s,:$HGPORT/,:\$HGPORT/,"
-  comparing with http://localhost:$HGPORT/
+  $ hg -R new incoming http://localhost:$HGPORT/
+  comparing with http://localhost:\d+/
   changeset:   0:00a43fa82f62
   user:        test
   date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ http incoming
   date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
   summary:     8
   
-  $ hg -R new incoming -r 4 http://localhost:$HGPORT/ | sed -e "s,:$HGPORT/,:\$HGPORT/,"
-  comparing with http://localhost:$HGPORT/
+  $ hg -R new incoming -r 4 http://localhost:$HGPORT/
+  comparing with http://localhost:\d+/
   changeset:   0:00a43fa82f62
   user:        test
   date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
@@ -221,8 +221,8 @@ limit to 2 changesets, test with -p --gi
 
 test with --bundle
 
-  $ hg -R new incoming --bundle test.hg http://localhost:$HGPORT/ | sed -e "s,:$HGPORT/,:\$HGPORT/,"
-  comparing with http://localhost:$HGPORT/
+  $ hg -R new incoming --bundle test.hg http://localhost:$HGPORT/
+  comparing with http://localhost:.*/
   changeset:   0:00a43fa82f62
   user:        test
   date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
@@ -419,8 +419,8 @@ limit to 3 changesets
   date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
   summary:     11
   
-  $ hg -R test-dev outgoing http://localhost:$HGPORT/ | sed -e "s,:$HGPORT/,:\$HGPORT/,"
-  comparing with http://localhost:$HGPORT/
+  $ hg -R test-dev outgoing http://localhost:$HGPORT/
+  comparing with http://localhost:.*/
   searching for changes
   changeset:   9:d89d4abea5bc
   user:        test
@@ -448,8 +448,8 @@ limit to 3 changesets
   date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
   summary:     13
   
-  $ hg -R test-dev outgoing -r 11 http://localhost:$HGPORT/ | sed -e "s,:$HGPORT/,:\$HGPORT/,"
-  comparing with http://localhost:$HGPORT/
+  $ hg -R test-dev outgoing -r 11 http://localhost:$HGPORT/
+  comparing with http://localhost:.*/
   searching for changes
   changeset:   9:d89d4abea5bc
   user:        test
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-qdiff.t b/tests/test-mq-qdiff.t
--- a/tests/test-mq-qdiff.t
+++ b/tests/test-mq-qdiff.t
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@
 
 qdiff:
 
-  $ hg qdiff | sed -e "s/\(+++ [a-zA-Z0-9_/.-]*\).*/\1/"
+  $ hg qdiff
   diff -r d20a80d4def3 base
   --- a/base	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
-  +++ b/base
+  \+\+\+ b/base.*
   @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
   -base
   +patched
diff --git a/tests/test-pull.t b/tests/test-pull.t
--- a/tests/test-pull.t
+++ b/tests/test-pull.t
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   $ cat hg.pid >> $DAEMON_PIDS
   $ cd ..
 
-  $ hg clone --pull http://foo:bar@localhost:$HGPORT/ copy | sed -e "s,:$HGPORT/,:\$HGPORT/,"
+  $ hg clone --pull http://foo:bar@localhost:$HGPORT/ copy
   requesting all changes
   adding changesets
   adding manifests
@@ -43,13 +43,13 @@
   $ hg manifest --debug
   2ed2a3912a0b24502043eae84ee4b279c18b90dd 644   foo
 
-  $ hg pull | sed -e "s,:$HGPORT/,:\$HGPORT/,"
-  pulling from http://foo:***@localhost:$HGPORT/
+  $ hg pull
+  pulling from http://foo:\*\*\*@localhost:.*/
   searching for changes
   no changes found
 
-  $ hg rollback --dry-run --verbose | sed -e "s,:$HGPORT/,:\$HGPORT/,"
-  rolling back to revision -1 (undo pull: http://foo:***@localhost:$HGPORT/)
+  $ hg rollback --dry-run --verbose
+  rolling back to revision -1 \(undo pull: http://foo:\*\*\*@localhost:.*/\)
 
 Issue 622:
 
diff --git a/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t b/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t
--- a/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t
+++ b/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t
@@ -5,15 +5,12 @@
   >     tr '\\' /
   > }
 
-  $ escapedwd=`pwd | fix_path`
-
 SVN wants all paths to start with a slash. Unfortunately, Windows ones
 don't. Handle that.
 
+  $ escapedwd=`pwd | fix_path`
   $ expr "$escapedwd" : / > /dev/null || escapedwd="/$escapedwd"
   $ escapedwd=`python -c "import urllib, sys; sys.stdout.write(urllib.quote(sys.argv[1]))" "$escapedwd"`
-  $ filterpath="s|$escapedwd|/root|"
-  $ filteroutofdate='s/ in transaction.*/ is out of date/;s/Out of date: /File /'
 
 create subversion repo
 
@@ -74,19 +71,18 @@ add first svn sub with leading whitespac
 
 debugsub
 
-  $ hg debugsub | sed "$filterpath"
+  $ hg debugsub
   path s
-   source   file:///root/svn-repo/src
+   source   file:///.*/svn-repo/src
    revision 2
 
 change file in svn and hg, commit
 
   $ echo a >> a
   $ echo alpha >> s/alpha
-  $ hg commit -m 'Message!' \
-  >     | sed 's:Sending.*s/alpha:Sending        s/alpha:g'
+  $ hg commit -m 'Message!'
   committing subrepository s
-  Sending        s/alpha
+  Sending.*s/alpha
   Transmitting file data .
   Committed revision 3.
   
@@ -94,9 +90,9 @@ change file in svn and hg, commit
   External at revision 1.
   
   At revision 3.
-  $ hg debugsub | sed "$filterpath"
+  $ hg debugsub
   path s
-   source   file:///root/svn-repo/src
+   source   file:///.*/svn-repo/src
    revision 3
 
   $ echo a > s/a
@@ -128,20 +124,22 @@ add a commit from svn
 this commit from hg will fail
 
   $ echo zzz >> s/alpha
-  $ hg ci -m 'amend alpha from hg' 2>&1 | sed "$filteroutofdate"
+  $ hg ci -m 'amend alpha from hg'
   committing subrepository s
   abort: svn: Commit failed (details follow):
-  svn: File '/src/alpha' is out of date
+  svn: (Out of date)?.*/src/alpha.*(is out of date)?
+  [255]
   $ svn revert -q s/alpha
 
 this commit fails because of meta changes
 
   $ svn propset svn:mime-type 'text/html' s/alpha
   property 'svn:mime-type' set on 's/alpha'
-  $ hg ci -m 'amend alpha from hg' 2>&1 | sed "$filteroutofdate"
+  $ hg ci -m 'amend alpha from hg'
   committing subrepository s
   abort: svn: Commit failed (details follow):
-  svn: File '/src/alpha' is out of date
+  svn: (Out of date)?.*/src/alpha.*(is out of date)?
+  [255]
   $ svn revert -q s/alpha
 
 this commit fails because of externals changes
@@ -192,9 +190,9 @@ clone
 
 debugsub in clone
 
-  $ hg debugsub | sed "$filterpath"
+  $ hg debugsub
   path s
-   source   file:///root/svn-repo/src
+   source   file:///.*/svn-repo/src
    revision 3
 
 verify subrepo is contained within the repo directory
diff --git a/tests/test-tags.t b/tests/test-tags.t
--- a/tests/test-tags.t
+++ b/tests/test-tags.t
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ Add invalid tags:
   $ echo "spam" >> .hgtags
   $ echo >> .hgtags
   $ echo "foo bar" >> .hgtags
-  $ echo "$T invalid" | sed "s/..../a5a5/" >> .hg/localtags
+  $ echo "a5a5 invalid" >> .hg/localtags
   $ echo "committing .hgtags:"
   committing .hgtags:
   $ cat .hgtags