diff --git a/test/completions.bats b/test/completions.bats
index 0f79654..0feccfa 100644
--- a/test/completions.bats
+++ b/test/completions.bats
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ else
   exit 1
 fi"
   run rbenv-completions hello happy world
-  assert_success "\
-    happy
-    world"
+  assert_success
+  assert_output <<OUT
+happy
+world
+OUT
 }
diff --git a/test/exec.bats b/test/exec.bats
index 45e7f73..bf57c59 100644
--- a/test/exec.bats
+++ b/test/exec.bats
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ create_executable() {
 
   rbenv-rehash
   run rbenv-completions exec
-  assert_success "\
-    rake
-    ruby"
+  assert_success
+  assert_output <<OUT
+rake
+ruby
+OUT
 }
 
 @test "supports hook path with spaces" {
@@ -50,19 +52,20 @@ create_executable() {
 echo \$0
 for arg; do
   # hack to avoid bash builtin echo which can't output '-e'
-  printf "%s\\n" "\$arg"
+  printf "  %s\\n" "\$arg"
 done
 SH
 
-  run rbenv-exec ruby -w -e "puts 'hello world'" -- extra args
-  assert_success "\
-    ${RBENV_ROOT}/versions/2.0/bin/ruby
-    -w
-    -e
-    puts 'hello world'
-    --
-    extra
-    args"
+  run rbenv-exec ruby -w "/path to/ruby script.rb" -- extra args
+  assert_success
+  assert_output <<OUT
+${RBENV_ROOT}/versions/2.0/bin/ruby
+  -w
+  /path to/ruby script.rb
+  --
+  extra
+  args
+OUT
 }
 
 @test "supports ruby -S <cmd>" {
@@ -85,9 +88,10 @@ else
 fi
 SH
 
-  create_executable "rake" "\
-    #!/usr/bin/env ruby
-    echo hello rake"
+  create_executable "rake" <<SH
+#!/usr/bin/env ruby
+echo hello rake
+SH
 
   rbenv-rehash
   run ruby -S rake
diff --git a/test/hooks.bats b/test/hooks.bats
index 7d3b253..0b53d43 100644
--- a/test/hooks.bats
+++ b/test/hooks.bats
@@ -22,10 +22,12 @@ create_hook() {
   create_hook "$path2" exec "bueno.bash"
 
   RBENV_HOOK_PATH="$path1:$path2" run rbenv-hooks exec
-  assert_success "\
-    ${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/rbenv.d/exec/ahoy.bash
-    ${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/rbenv.d/exec/hello.bash
-    ${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/etc/rbenv_hooks/exec/bueno.bash"
+  assert_success
+  assert_output <<OUT
+${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/rbenv.d/exec/ahoy.bash
+${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/rbenv.d/exec/hello.bash
+${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/etc/rbenv_hooks/exec/bueno.bash
+OUT
 }
 
 @test "supports hook paths with spaces" {
@@ -35,9 +37,11 @@ create_hook() {
   create_hook "$path2" exec "ahoy.bash"
 
   RBENV_HOOK_PATH="$path1:$path2" run rbenv-hooks exec
-  assert_success "\
-    ${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/my hooks/rbenv.d/exec/hello.bash
-    ${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/etc/rbenv hooks/exec/ahoy.bash"
+  assert_success
+  assert_output <<OUT
+${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/my hooks/rbenv.d/exec/hello.bash
+${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/etc/rbenv hooks/exec/ahoy.bash
+OUT
 }
 
 @test "resolves relative paths" {
diff --git a/test/rehash.bats b/test/rehash.bats
index 1e4d6d5..a9d2359 100755
--- a/test/rehash.bats
+++ b/test/rehash.bats
@@ -45,8 +45,10 @@ create_executable() {
   assert_success ""
 
   run ls "${RBENV_ROOT}/shims"
-  assert_success "\
-    rake
-    rspec
-    ruby"
+  assert_success
+  assert_output <<OUT
+rake
+rspec
+ruby
+OUT
 }
diff --git a/test/shell.bats b/test/shell.bats
index 1a5af66..579d31a 100644
--- a/test/shell.bats
+++ b/test/shell.bats
@@ -22,9 +22,11 @@ load test_helper
 
 @test "shell change invalid version" {
   run rbenv-sh-shell 1.2.3
-  assert_failure "\
-    rbenv: version \`1.2.3' not installed
-    return 1"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output <<SH
+rbenv: version \`1.2.3' not installed
+return 1
+SH
 }
 
 @test "shell change version" {
diff --git a/test/test_helper.bash b/test/test_helper.bash
index 1d49ab2..75912f1 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.bash
+++ b/test/test_helper.bash
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ assert_success() {
   if [ "$status" -ne 0 ]; then
     flunk "command failed with exit status $status"
   elif [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; then
-    assert_output_lines "$1"
+    assert_output "$1"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ assert_failure() {
   if [ "$status" -eq 0 ]; then
     flunk "expected failed exit status"
   elif [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; then
-    assert_output_lines "$1"
+    assert_output "$1"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -47,21 +47,11 @@ assert_equal() {
 }
 
 assert_output() {
-  assert_equal "$1" "$output"
-}
-
-# compares lines with leading whitespace trimmed
-assert_output_lines() {
-  local -a expected
-  IFS=$'\n' expected=($1)
-  for (( i=0; i < ${#expected[@]}; i++ )); do
-    local wants="${expected[$i]}"
-    local got="${lines[$i]}"
-    assert_equal \
-      "${wants#"${wants%%[![:space:]]*}"}" \
-      "${got#"${got%%[![:space:]]*}"}"
-  done
-  assert_equal "${expected[$i]}" "${lines[$i]}"
+  local expected
+  if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then expected="$(cat -)"
+  else expected="$1"
+  fi
+  assert_equal "$expected" "$output"
 }
 
 assert_line() {
diff --git a/test/whence.bats b/test/whence.bats
index 583a2ca..317f89e 100644
--- a/test/whence.bats
+++ b/test/whence.bats
@@ -16,9 +16,11 @@ create_executable() {
   create_executable "2.0" "rspec"
 
   run rbenv-whence ruby
-  assert_success "\
-    1.8
-    2.0"
+  assert_success
+  assert_output <<OUT
+1.8
+2.0
+OUT
 
   run rbenv-whence rake
   assert_success "1.8"
diff --git a/test/which.bats b/test/which.bats
index 530c1f4..cae53dd 100644
--- a/test/which.bats
+++ b/test/which.bats
@@ -49,9 +49,12 @@ create_executable() {
   create_executable "2.0" "rspec"
 
   RBENV_VERSION=1.8 run rbenv-which rspec
-  assert_failure "\
-    rbenv: rspec: command not found
-    The \`rspec' command exists in these Ruby versions:
-      1.9
-      2.0"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output <<OUT
+rbenv: rspec: command not found
+
+The \`rspec' command exists in these Ruby versions:
+  1.9
+  2.0
+OUT
 }