diff --git a/cli/tests/common/mod.rs b/cli/tests/common/mod.rs
index 2b5f93dff..054d18d93 100644
--- a/cli/tests/common/mod.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/common/mod.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::path::Path;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
+use indoc::formatdoc;
 use itertools::Itertools as _;
 use regex::Captures;
 use regex::Regex;
@@ -288,22 +289,16 @@ impl TestEnvironment {
     /// Sets up the fake editor to read an edit script from the returned path
     /// Also sets up the fake editor as a merge tool named "fake-editor"
     pub fn set_up_fake_editor(&mut self) -> PathBuf {
-        let editor_path = assert_cmd::cargo::cargo_bin("fake-editor");
-        assert!(editor_path.is_file());
-        // Simplified TOML escaping, hoping that there are no '"' or control characters
-        // in it
-        let escaped_editor_path = editor_path.to_str().unwrap().replace('\\', r"\\");
-        self.add_env_var("EDITOR", &escaped_editor_path);
-        self.add_config(format!(
-            r###"
-                    [ui]
-                    merge-editor = "fake-editor"
+        let editor_path = to_toml_value(fake_editor_path());
+        self.add_config(formatdoc! {r#"
+            [ui]
+            editor = {editor_path}
+            merge-editor = "fake-editor"
 
-                    [merge-tools]
-                    fake-editor.program="{escaped_editor_path}"
-                    fake-editor.merge-args = ["$output"]
-                "###
-        ));
+            [merge-tools]
+            fake-editor.program = {editor_path}
+            fake-editor.merge-args = ["$output"]
+        "#});
         let edit_script = self.env_root().join("edit_script");
         std::fs::write(&edit_script, "").unwrap();
         self.add_env_var("EDIT_SCRIPT", edit_script.to_str().unwrap());
@@ -313,13 +308,11 @@ impl TestEnvironment {
     /// Sets up the fake diff-editor to read an edit script from the returned
     /// path
     pub fn set_up_fake_diff_editor(&mut self) -> PathBuf {
-        let escaped_diff_editor_path = escaped_fake_diff_editor_path();
-        self.add_config(format!(
-            r###"
+        let diff_editor_path = to_toml_value(fake_diff_editor_path());
+        self.add_config(formatdoc! {r#"
             ui.diff-editor = "fake-diff-editor"
-            merge-tools.fake-diff-editor.program = "{escaped_diff_editor_path}"
-            "###
-        ));
+            merge-tools.fake-diff-editor.program = {diff_editor_path}
+        "#});
         let edit_script = self.env_root().join("diff_edit_script");
         std::fs::write(&edit_script, "").unwrap();
         self.add_env_var("DIFF_EDIT_SCRIPT", edit_script.to_str().unwrap());
@@ -363,12 +356,21 @@ pub fn get_stderr_string(assert: &assert_cmd::assert::Assert) -> String {
     String::from_utf8(assert.get_output().stderr.clone()).unwrap()
 }
 
-pub fn escaped_fake_diff_editor_path() -> String {
-    let diff_editor_path = assert_cmd::cargo::cargo_bin("fake-diff-editor");
-    assert!(diff_editor_path.is_file());
-    // Simplified TOML escaping, hoping that there are no '"' or control characters
-    // in it
-    diff_editor_path.to_str().unwrap().replace('\\', r"\\")
+pub fn fake_editor_path() -> String {
+    let path = assert_cmd::cargo::cargo_bin("fake-editor");
+    assert!(path.is_file());
+    path.into_os_string().into_string().unwrap()
+}
+
+pub fn fake_diff_editor_path() -> String {
+    let path = assert_cmd::cargo::cargo_bin("fake-diff-editor");
+    assert!(path.is_file());
+    path.into_os_string().into_string().unwrap()
+}
+
+/// Coerces the value type to serialize it as TOML.
+pub fn to_toml_value(value: impl Into<toml_edit::Value>) -> toml_edit::Value {
+    value.into()
 }
 
 /// Returns a string with the last line removed.
diff --git a/cli/tests/test_config_command.rs b/cli/tests/test_config_command.rs
index e902f316c..03443d295 100644
--- a/cli/tests/test_config_command.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/test_config_command.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ use indoc::indoc;
 use itertools::Itertools;
 use regex::Regex;
 
+use crate::common::fake_editor_path;
 use crate::common::TestEnvironment;
 
 #[test]
@@ -819,7 +820,8 @@ fn test_config_edit_user() {
 fn test_config_edit_user_new_file() {
     let mut test_env = TestEnvironment::default();
     let user_config_path = test_env.config_path().join("config").join("file.toml");
-    test_env.set_up_fake_editor(); // set $EDITOR, but added configuration is ignored
+    test_env.set_up_fake_editor(); // set $EDIT_SCRIPT, but added configuration is ignored
+    test_env.add_env_var("EDITOR", fake_editor_path());
     test_env.set_config_path(&user_config_path);
     assert!(!user_config_path.exists());
 
diff --git a/cli/tests/test_diff_command.rs b/cli/tests/test_diff_command.rs
index 5e5ad4cec..0c07eeaeb 100644
--- a/cli/tests/test_diff_command.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/test_diff_command.rs
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@
 use indoc::indoc;
 use itertools::Itertools;
 
-use crate::common::escaped_fake_diff_editor_path;
+use crate::common::fake_diff_editor_path;
 use crate::common::strip_last_line;
+use crate::common::to_toml_value;
 use crate::common::TestEnvironment;
 
 #[test]
@@ -2109,8 +2110,8 @@ fn test_diff_external_tool() {
     "###);
 
     // Inlined command arguments
-    let command = escaped_fake_diff_editor_path();
-    let config = format!(r#"--config=ui.diff.tool=["{command}", "$right", "$left"]"#);
+    let command_toml = to_toml_value(fake_diff_editor_path());
+    let config = format!("--config=ui.diff.tool=[{command_toml}, '$right', '$left']");
     insta::assert_snapshot!(test_env.jj_cmd_success(&repo_path, &["diff", &config]), @r###"
     file2
     file3