diff --git a/lib/src/git_backend.rs b/lib/src/git_backend.rs
index fa6b732ce..60f3c245a 100644
--- a/lib/src/git_backend.rs
+++ b/lib/src/git_backend.rs
@@ -1167,7 +1167,7 @@ mod tests {
         let temp_dir = testutils::new_temp_dir();
         let store_path = temp_dir.path();
         let git_repo_path = temp_dir.path().join("git");
-        let git_repo = git2::Repository::init(&git_repo_path).unwrap();
+        let git_repo = git2::Repository::init(git_repo_path).unwrap();
 
         // Add a commit with some files in
         let blob1 = git_repo.blob(b"content1").unwrap();
@@ -1223,7 +1223,7 @@ mod tests {
             .unwrap();
         let commit_id2 = CommitId::from_bytes(git_commit_id2.as_bytes());
 
-        let backend = GitBackend::init_external(&settings, store_path, &git_repo_path).unwrap();
+        let backend = GitBackend::init_external(&settings, store_path, git_repo.path()).unwrap();
 
         // Import the head commit and its ancestors
         backend
@@ -1329,7 +1329,7 @@ mod tests {
         let temp_dir = testutils::new_temp_dir();
         let store_path = temp_dir.path();
         let git_repo_path = temp_dir.path().join("git");
-        let git_repo = git2::Repository::init(&git_repo_path).unwrap();
+        let git_repo = git2::Repository::init(git_repo_path).unwrap();
 
         let signature = git2::Signature::now("Someone", "someone@example.com").unwrap();
         let empty_tree_id = Oid::from_str("4b825dc642cb6eb9a060e54bf8d69288fbee4904").unwrap();
@@ -1345,7 +1345,7 @@ mod tests {
             )
             .unwrap();
 
-        let backend = GitBackend::init_external(&settings, store_path, &git_repo_path).unwrap();
+        let backend = GitBackend::init_external(&settings, store_path, git_repo.path()).unwrap();
 
         // read_commit() without import_head_commits() works as of now. This might be
         // changed later.
@@ -1369,7 +1369,7 @@ mod tests {
         let temp_dir = testutils::new_temp_dir();
         let store_path = temp_dir.path();
         let git_repo_path = temp_dir.path().join("git");
-        let git_repo = git2::Repository::init(&git_repo_path).unwrap();
+        let git_repo = git2::Repository::init(git_repo_path).unwrap();
 
         let signature = git2::Signature::now("Someone", "someone@example.com").unwrap();
         let empty_tree_id = Oid::from_str("4b825dc642cb6eb9a060e54bf8d69288fbee4904").unwrap();
@@ -1394,7 +1394,7 @@ mod tests {
             .commit_signed(commit_buf, secure_sig, None)
             .unwrap();
 
-        let backend = GitBackend::init_external(&settings, store_path, &git_repo_path).unwrap();
+        let backend = GitBackend::init_external(&settings, store_path, git_repo.path()).unwrap();
 
         let commit = backend
             .read_commit(&CommitId::from_bytes(git_commit_id.as_bytes()))
@@ -1461,9 +1461,9 @@ mod tests {
         let temp_dir = testutils::new_temp_dir();
         let store_path = temp_dir.path();
         let git_repo_path = temp_dir.path().join("git");
-        let git_repo = git2::Repository::init(&git_repo_path).unwrap();
+        let git_repo = git2::Repository::init(git_repo_path).unwrap();
 
-        let backend = GitBackend::init_external(&settings, store_path, &git_repo_path).unwrap();
+        let backend = GitBackend::init_external(&settings, store_path, git_repo.path()).unwrap();
         let mut commit = Commit {
             parents: vec![],
             predecessors: vec![],
@@ -1526,9 +1526,9 @@ mod tests {
         let temp_dir = testutils::new_temp_dir();
         let store_path = temp_dir.path();
         let git_repo_path = temp_dir.path().join("git");
-        let git_repo = git2::Repository::init(&git_repo_path).unwrap();
+        let git_repo = git2::Repository::init(git_repo_path).unwrap();
 
-        let backend = GitBackend::init_external(&settings, store_path, &git_repo_path).unwrap();
+        let backend = GitBackend::init_external(&settings, store_path, git_repo.path()).unwrap();
         let create_tree = |i| {
             let blob_id = git_repo.blob(b"content {i}").unwrap();
             let mut tree_builder = git_repo.treebuilder(None).unwrap();
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_git.rs b/lib/tests/test_git.rs
index cc8ff62da..37d5a6023 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_git.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_git.rs
@@ -1113,7 +1113,7 @@ impl GitRepoData {
         let origin_repo = git2::Repository::init_bare(&origin_repo_dir).unwrap();
         let git_repo_dir = temp_dir.path().join("git");
         let git_repo =
-            git2::Repository::clone(origin_repo_dir.to_str().unwrap(), &git_repo_dir).unwrap();
+            git2::Repository::clone(origin_repo_dir.to_str().unwrap(), git_repo_dir).unwrap();
         let jj_repo_dir = temp_dir.path().join("jj");
         std::fs::create_dir(&jj_repo_dir).unwrap();
         let repo = ReadonlyRepo::init(
@@ -1123,7 +1123,7 @@ impl GitRepoData {
                 Ok(Box::new(GitBackend::init_external(
                     settings,
                     store_path,
-                    &git_repo_dir,
+                    git_repo.path(),
                 )?))
             },
             Signer::from_settings(&settings).unwrap(),
@@ -1979,7 +1979,7 @@ fn test_init() {
     let temp_dir = testutils::new_temp_dir();
     let git_repo_dir = temp_dir.path().join("git");
     let jj_repo_dir = temp_dir.path().join("jj");
-    let git_repo = git2::Repository::init_bare(&git_repo_dir).unwrap();
+    let git_repo = git2::Repository::init_bare(git_repo_dir).unwrap();
     let initial_git_commit = empty_git_commit(&git_repo, "refs/heads/main", &[]);
     std::fs::create_dir(&jj_repo_dir).unwrap();
     let repo = &ReadonlyRepo::init(
@@ -1989,7 +1989,7 @@ fn test_init() {
             Ok(Box::new(GitBackend::init_external(
                 settings,
                 store_path,
-                &git_repo_dir,
+                git_repo.path(),
             )?))
         },
         Signer::from_settings(&settings).unwrap(),
@@ -2306,7 +2306,8 @@ fn set_up_push_repos(settings: &UserSettings, temp_dir: &TempDir) -> PushTestSet
     let jj_repo_dir = temp_dir.path().join("jj");
     let source_repo = git2::Repository::init_bare(&source_repo_dir).unwrap();
     let initial_git_commit = empty_git_commit(&source_repo, "refs/heads/main", &[]);
-    git2::Repository::clone(source_repo_dir.to_str().unwrap(), &clone_repo_dir).unwrap();
+    let clone_repo =
+        git2::Repository::clone(source_repo_dir.to_str().unwrap(), clone_repo_dir).unwrap();
     std::fs::create_dir(&jj_repo_dir).unwrap();
     let jj_repo = ReadonlyRepo::init(
         settings,
@@ -2315,7 +2316,7 @@ fn set_up_push_repos(settings: &UserSettings, temp_dir: &TempDir) -> PushTestSet
             Ok(Box::new(GitBackend::init_external(
                 settings,
                 store_path,
-                &clone_repo_dir,
+                clone_repo.path(),
             )?))
         },
         Signer::from_settings(settings).unwrap(),
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_init.rs b/lib/tests/test_init.rs
index eb6f86b42..973ea5b37 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_init.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_init.rs
@@ -108,8 +108,12 @@ fn test_init_external_git() {
     let git_repo_path = uncanonical.join("git");
     git2::Repository::init(&git_repo_path).unwrap();
     std::fs::create_dir(uncanonical.join("jj")).unwrap();
-    let (workspace, repo) =
-        Workspace::init_external_git(&settings, &uncanonical.join("jj"), &git_repo_path).unwrap();
+    let (workspace, repo) = Workspace::init_external_git(
+        &settings,
+        &uncanonical.join("jj"),
+        &git_repo_path.join(".git"),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
     let git_backend = repo
         .store()
         .backend_impl()