diff --git a/test/main/all-arg-test b/test/main/all-arg-test
index a2e026510..b7327046a 100755
--- a/test/main/all-arg-test
+++ b/test/main/all-arg-test
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ in_work_dir create_repo_from_tgz "$base_dir/files/refs-repo.tgz"
 
 test_tig --all
 
-assert_vars
+assert_vars 1
 
 assert_equals stderr <<EOF
 EOF
diff --git a/test/main/branch-var-test b/test/main/branch-var-test
index 2c103842f..fda559df7 100755
--- a/test/main/branch-var-test
+++ b/test/main/branch-var-test
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ in_work_dir create_repo_from_tgz "$base_dir/files/refs-repo.tgz"
 
 test_tig --all
 
-assert_vars
+assert_vars 4
 
 assert_equals 'main.screen' <<EOF
 2009-02-13 23:31 Max Power             * [mp/feature] {max-power/mp/feature} WIP
diff --git a/test/refs/branch-var-test b/test/refs/branch-var-test
index d2da71656..f0edaba09 100755
--- a/test/refs/branch-var-test
+++ b/test/refs/branch-var-test
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ in_work_dir create_repo_from_tgz "$base_dir/files/refs-repo.tgz"
 
 test_tig refs
 
-assert_vars
+assert_vars 6
 
 assert_equals 'refs.screen' <<EOF
                                All references
diff --git a/test/status/repo-var-test b/test/status/repo-var-test
index c6fcd3313..49e48e00a 100755
--- a/test/status/repo-var-test
+++ b/test/status/repo-var-test
@@ -33,4 +33,4 @@ Untracked files:
 [status] Nothing to update                                                  100%
 EOF
 
-assert_vars
+assert_vars 7
diff --git a/test/tools/libtest.sh b/test/tools/libtest.sh
index b04158654..bc0c898d0 100644
--- a/test/tools/libtest.sh
+++ b/test/tools/libtest.sh
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ ORIG_IFS=
 assert_equals()
 {
 	file="$1"; shift
-	whitespace_arg="ignore";
+	whitespace_arg='-w';
 
 	if [ "$#" -ge 1 ]; then
 		whitespace_arg="${1:-}"
@@ -277,12 +277,13 @@ assert_not_exists()
 }
 
 vars_file="vars"
-expected_var_file="$HOME/expected/$vars_file"
+vars_count_file="${vars_file}_assert_count"
+expected_vars_file="$HOME/expected/$vars_file"
 
 executable 'assert-var' <<EOF
 #!/bin/sh
 
-mkdir -p "$(dirname -- "$expected_var_file")"
+mkdir -p "$(dirname -- "$expected_vars_file")"
 lhs="\${1:-}"
 if [ "\$#" -gt 0 ]; then
 	shift
@@ -300,15 +301,24 @@ if [ -z "\$rhs" ]; then
 fi
 
 printf '%s\\n' "\$lhs" >> "$HOME/$vars_file"
-printf '%s\\n' "\$rhs" >> "$expected_var_file"
+printf '%s\\n' "\$rhs" >> "$expected_vars_file"
 EOF
 
 assert_vars()
 {
-	if [ -e "$expected_var_file" ]; then
-		assert_equals "$vars_file" strict "message" < "$expected_var_file"
+	if [ -n "${1:-}" ]; then
+		printf '%s\n' "$1" > "$vars_count_file"
+		shift
+	else
+		die "Test must supply the expected count of assertions to assert_vars()"
+	fi
+
+	grep -c . "$vars_file" | assert_equals "$vars_count_file" strict "$*"
+
+	if [ -e "$expected_vars_file" ]; then
+		assert_equals "$vars_file" strict "$*" < "$expected_vars_file"
 	else
-		printf '[FAIL] %s not found\n' "$expected_var_file" >> .test-result
+		printf '[FAIL] %s not found\n' "$expected_vars_file" >> .test-result
 	fi
 }