diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Package/Archiver/ArchiveManagerTest.php b/tests/Composer/Test/Package/Archiver/ArchiveManagerTest.php
index 946ecff5d..2c99ac61c 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Package/Archiver/ArchiveManagerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Package/Archiver/ArchiveManagerTest.php
@@ -115,12 +115,18 @@ class ArchiveManagerTest extends ArchiverTest
         chdir($this->testDir);
 
         $output = null;
-        $result = $this->process->execute('git init -q -b master', $output, $this->testDir);
+        $result = $this->process->execute('git init -q', $output, $this->testDir);
         if ($result > 0) {
             chdir($currentWorkDir);
             throw new \RuntimeException('Could not init: '.$this->process->getErrorOutput());
         }
 
+        $result = $this->process->execute('git checkout -b master', $output, $this->testDir);
+        if ($result > 0) {
+            chdir($currentWorkDir);
+            throw new \RuntimeException('Could not checkout master branch: '.$this->process->getErrorOutput());
+        }
+
         $result = $this->process->execute('git config user.email "you@example.com"', $output, $this->testDir);
         if ($result > 0) {
             chdir($currentWorkDir);
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Repository/VcsRepositoryTest.php b/tests/Composer/Test/Repository/VcsRepositoryTest.php
index b3cebfc14..b1d0e5a83 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Repository/VcsRepositoryTest.php
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Repository/VcsRepositoryTest.php
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ class VcsRepositoryTest extends TestCase
             }
         };
 
-        $exec('git init -q -b master');
+        $exec('git init -q');
+        $exec('git checkout -b master');
         $exec('git config user.email composertest@example.org');
         $exec('git config user.name ComposerTest');
         $exec('git config commit.gpgsign false');