diff --git a/contrib/check-code.py b/contrib/check-code.py
--- a/contrib/check-code.py
+++ b/contrib/check-code.py
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ testpats = [
     (r'ls\s+[^|-]+\s+-', "options to 'ls' must come before filenames"),
     (r'[^>]>\s*\$HGRCPATH', "don't overwrite $HGRCPATH, append to it"),
     (r'stop\(\)', "don't use 'stop' as a shell function name"),
+    (r'(\[|\btest\b).*-e ', "don't use 'test -e', use 'test -f'"),
   ],
   # warnings
   []
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
@@ -581,5 +581,5 @@ First, create that condition in the repo
   A    $TESTTMP/rebaserepo/recreated/somethingold
   Checked out revision 10.
   1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
-  $ test -e recreated/somethingold
+  $ test -f recreated/somethingold