diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 4c88b534..cc1c7909 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ convert ()
     esac
 
     fn="$top_srcdir/lib/${fn##*/}"
-    [ -f "$fn" ] || { echo "Missing file: $fn"; exit 1; }
+    test -f "$fn" || { echo "Missing file: $fn"; exit 1; }
 
     sed "/definitions* of $inc/r $fn" "$int" > "${int}_"
     int=${int}_
diff --git a/maintMakefile b/maintMakefile
index 119a901c..dc4616db 100644
--- a/maintMakefile
+++ b/maintMakefile
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ ChangeLog: .check-git-HEAD
 .PHONY: .check-git-HEAD
 .check-git-HEAD:
 	sha="`git rev-parse HEAD`"; \
-	[ -f '$@' ] && [ "`cat '$@' 2>/dev/null`" = "$$sha" ] \
+	test -f '$@' && [ "`cat '$@' 2>/dev/null`" = "$$sha" ] \
 	    || echo "$$sha" > '$@'
 
 
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ do-po-update:
 	$(MAKE) po-check
 
 po-update:
-	[ -d "po" ] && $(MAKE) do-po-update
+	test -d "po" && $(MAKE) do-po-update
 
 # -------------------------- #
 # Updating GNU build files.  #
@@ -385,16 +385,16 @@ gnuweb-dir = www/server/standards
 
 # Get the GNU make web page boilerplate etc.
 update-makeweb:
-	[ -d '$(MAKEWEBDIR)' ] || mkdir -p '$(MAKEWEBDIR)'
-	[ -d '$(MAKEWEBDIR)'/CVS ] \
+	test -d '$(MAKEWEBDIR)' || mkdir -p '$(MAKEWEBDIR)'
+	test -d '$(MAKEWEBDIR)'/CVS \
 	    && { cd '$(MAKEWEBDIR)' && $(CVS) update; } \
 	    || { mkdir -p '$(dir $(MAKEWEBDIR))' && cd '$(dir $(MAKEWEBDIR))' \
 		 && $(CVS) -d $(makeweb-repo) co -d '$(notdir $(MAKEWEBDIR))' make; }
 
 # Get the GNU web page boilerplate etc.
 update-gnuweb:
-	[ -d '$(GNUWEBDIR)' ] || mkdir -p '$(GNUWEBDIR)'
-	[ -d '$(GNUWEBDIR)/$(gnuweb-dir)'/CVS ] \
+	test -d '$(GNUWEBDIR)' || mkdir -p '$(GNUWEBDIR)'
+	test -d '$(GNUWEBDIR)/$(gnuweb-dir)'/CVS \
 	    && { cd '$(GNUWEBDIR)/$(gnuweb-dir)' && $(CVS) update; } \
 	    || { cd '$(GNUWEBDIR)' && $(CVS) -d $(gnuweb-repo) co '$(gnuweb-dir)'; }
 
@@ -446,8 +446,8 @@ $(COV_BUILD_FILE): $(filter %.c %.h,$(DISTFILES))
 cov-submit: $(COV_BUILD_FILE)-submitted
 
 $(COV_BUILD_FILE)-submitted: $(COV_BUILD_FILE)
-	@[ -n "$(COVERITY_TOKEN)" ] || { echo 'COVERITY_TOKEN not set'; exit 1; }
-	@[ -n "$(COVERITY_EMAIL)" ] || { echo 'COVERITY_EMAIL not set'; exit 1; }
+	@test -n "$(COVERITY_TOKEN)" || { echo 'COVERITY_TOKEN not set'; exit 1; }
+	@test -n "$(COVERITY_EMAIL)" || { echo 'COVERITY_EMAIL not set'; exit 1; }
 	rm -f '$@'
 	case '$(VERSION)' in \
 	    (*.*.9*) type="daily build"; ext=".$$(date +%Y%m%d)" ;; \
diff --git a/scripts/copyright-update b/scripts/copyright-update
index 6728fd9f..5a0ddd2c 100755
--- a/scripts/copyright-update
+++ b/scripts/copyright-update
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ getfiles () {
 
 run () {
     cmd=$(command -v "$update") || die "Cannot locate update-copyright ($update)"
-    [ -x "$cmd" ] || die "Cannot locate update-copyright ($update)"
+    test -x "$cmd" || die "Cannot locate update-copyright ($update)"
 
     force=false
 
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ run () {
 
     if $force; then
         : just do it
-    elif [ ! -f src/makeint.h ]; then
+    elif test ! -f src/makeint.h; then
         die "Run in the root of the GNU make workspace"
-    elif [ -f configure ]; then
+    elif test -f configure; then
         die "Run in a clean workspace (git clean -fdX)"
     fi
 
diff --git a/tests/scripts/features/reinvoke b/tests/scripts/features/reinvoke
index d2a1f50c..657f6c9b 100644
--- a/tests/scripts/features/reinvoke
+++ b/tests/scripts/features/reinvoke
@@ -45,17 +45,17 @@ all: ; @echo hello
 
 a : b ; echo >> $@
 
-b : c ; [ -f $@ ] || echo >> $@
+b : c ; test -f $@ || echo >> $@
 
 c: ; echo >> $@
 
 include $(F)',
-              'F=a', "[ -f b ] || echo >> b\nhello\n");
+              'F=a', "test -f b || echo >> b\nhello\n");
 
 # Now try with the file we're not updating being the actual file we're
 # including: this and the previous one test different parts of the code.
 
-run_make_test(undef, 'F=b', "[ -f b ] || echo >> b\nhello\n");
+run_make_test(undef, 'F=b', "test -f b || echo >> b\nhello\n");
 
 &rmfiles('a','b','c');
 
diff --git a/tests/scripts/features/targetvars b/tests/scripts/features/targetvars
index edc90b81..66c7ce2d 100644
--- a/tests/scripts/features/targetvars
+++ b/tests/scripts/features/targetvars
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ run_make_test(undef, 'foo PATTERN=yes', "ok ok foo pat\nok ok foo pat\n");
 # (> make default buffer length)
 
 run_make_test('
-base_metals_fmd_reports.sun5 base_metals_fmd_reports CreateRealPositions        CreateMarginFunds deals_changed_since : BUILD_OBJ=$(shell if [ -f               "build_information.generate" ]; then echo "$(OBJ_DIR)/build_information.o"; else echo "no build information"; fi  )
+base_metals_fmd_reports.sun5 base_metals_fmd_reports CreateRealPositions        CreateMarginFunds deals_changed_since : BUILD_OBJ=$(shell if test -f               "build_information.generate"   ; then echo "$(OBJ_DIR)/build_information.o"; else echo "no build information"; fi  )
 
 deals_changed_since: ; @echo $(BUILD_OBJ)
 ',