diff --git a/t/t5551-http-fetch-smart.sh b/t/t5551-http-fetch-smart.sh
index e236e526f0..dcff0bc7d4 100755
--- a/t/t5551-http-fetch-smart.sh
+++ b/t/t5551-http-fetch-smart.sh
@@ -397,15 +397,16 @@ create_tags () {
 }
 
 test_expect_success 'create 2,000 tags in the repo' '
+	git init --bare "$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH/many-tags.git" &&
 	(
-		cd "$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH/repo.git" &&
+		cd "$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH/many-tags.git" &&
 		create_tags 1 2000
 	)
 '
 
 test_expect_success CMDLINE_LIMIT \
 	'clone the 2,000 tag repo to check OS command line overflow' '
-	run_with_limited_cmdline git clone $HTTPD_URL/smart/repo.git too-many-refs &&
+	run_with_limited_cmdline git clone $HTTPD_URL/smart/many-tags.git too-many-refs &&
 	(
 		cd too-many-refs &&
 		git for-each-ref refs/tags >actual &&
@@ -483,12 +484,12 @@ test_expect_success 'test allowanysha1inwant with unreachable' '
 test_expect_success EXPENSIVE 'http can handle enormous ref negotiation' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f tags" &&
 	(
-		cd "$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH/repo.git" &&
+		cd "$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH/many-tags.git" &&
 		create_tags 2001 50000
 	) &&
 	git -C too-many-refs fetch -q --tags &&
 	(
-		cd "$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH/repo.git" &&
+		cd "$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH/many-tags.git" &&
 		create_tags 50001 100000
 	) &&
 	git -C too-many-refs fetch -q --tags &&