diff --git a/hgext/split.py b/hgext/split.py
--- a/hgext/split.py
+++ b/hgext/split.py
@@ -134,13 +134,10 @@ def dosplit(ui, repo, tr, ctx, opts):
     committed = [] # [ctx]
 
     # Set working parent to ctx.p1(), and keep working copy as ctx's content
-    # NOTE: if we can have "update without touching working copy" API, the
-    # revert step could be cheaper.
-    hg.clean(repo, ctx.p1().node(), show_stats=False)
-    parents = repo.changelog.parents(ctx.node())
-    ui.pushbuffer()
-    cmdutil.revert(ui, repo, ctx, parents)
-    ui.popbuffer() # discard "reverting ..." messages
+    if ctx.node() != repo.dirstate.p1():
+        hg.clean(repo, ctx.node(), show_stats=False)
+    with repo.dirstate.parentchange():
+        scmutil.movedirstate(repo, ctx.p1())
 
     # Any modified, added, removed, deleted result means split is incomplete
     incomplete = lambda repo: any(repo.status()[:4])
diff --git a/tests/test-removeemptydirs.t b/tests/test-removeemptydirs.t
--- a/tests/test-removeemptydirs.t
+++ b/tests/test-removeemptydirs.t
@@ -265,91 +265,3 @@ Note the lack of a 'cd' being necessary 
   0:d17db4b0303a add bar
 
   $ cd $TESTTMP
-
-Testing `hg split` being run from inside of a directory that was created in the
-commit being split:
-
-  $ hg init hgsplit
-  $ cd hgsplit
-  $ cat >> .hg/hgrc << EOF
-  > [ui]
-  > interactive = 1
-  > [extensions]
-  > split =
-  > EOF
-  $ echo anchor > anchor.txt
-  $ hg ci -qAm anchor
-
-Create a changeset with '/otherfile_in_root' and 'somedir/foo', then try to
-split it.
-  $ echo otherfile > otherfile_in_root
-  $ mkdir somedir
-  $ cd somedir
-  $ echo hi > foo
-  $ hg ci -qAm split_me
-(Note: need to make this file not in this directory, or else the bug doesn't
-reproduce; we're using a separate file due to concerns of portability on
-`echo -e`)
-  $ cat > ../split_commands << EOF
-  > n
-  > y
-  > y
-  > a
-  > EOF
-
-The split succeeds on no-rmcwd platforms, which alters the rest of the tests
-#if rmcwd
-  $ cat ../split_commands | hg split
-  current directory was removed
-  (consider changing to repo root: $TESTTMP/hgsplit)
-  diff --git a/otherfile_in_root b/otherfile_in_root
-  new file mode 100644
-  examine changes to 'otherfile_in_root'? [Ynesfdaq?] n
-  
-  diff --git a/somedir/foo b/somedir/foo
-  new file mode 100644
-  examine changes to 'somedir/foo'? [Ynesfdaq?] y
-  
-  @@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
-  +hi
-  record change 2/2 to 'somedir/foo'? [Ynesfdaq?] y
-  
-  abort: $ENOENT$
-  [255]
-#endif
-
-Let's try that again without the rmdir
-  $ cd $TESTTMP/hgsplit/somedir
-Show that the previous split didn't do anything
-  $ hg log -T '{rev}:{node|short} {desc}\n'
-  1:e26b22a4f0b7 split_me
-  0:7e53273730c0 anchor
-  $ hg status
-  ? split_commands
-Try again
-  $ cat ../split_commands | hg $NO_RM split
-  diff --git a/otherfile_in_root b/otherfile_in_root
-  new file mode 100644
-  examine changes to 'otherfile_in_root'? [Ynesfdaq?] n
-  
-  diff --git a/somedir/foo b/somedir/foo
-  new file mode 100644
-  examine changes to 'somedir/foo'? [Ynesfdaq?] y
-  
-  @@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
-  +hi
-  record change 2/2 to 'somedir/foo'? [Ynesfdaq?] y
-  
-  created new head
-  diff --git a/otherfile_in_root b/otherfile_in_root
-  new file mode 100644
-  examine changes to 'otherfile_in_root'? [Ynesfdaq?] a
-  
-  saved backup bundle to $TESTTMP/hgsplit/.hg/strip-backup/*-split.hg (glob)
-Show that this split did something
-  $ hg log -T '{rev}:{node|short} {desc}\n'
-  2:a440f24fca4f split_me
-  1:c994f20276ab split_me
-  0:7e53273730c0 anchor
-  $ hg status
-  ? split_commands