diff --git a/t/bazaar.t b/t/bazaar.t
index 3e54ec4dc..cd840fbe1 100755
--- a/t/bazaar.t
+++ b/t/bazaar.t
@@ -6,11 +6,14 @@ BEGIN {
 	$dir = "/tmp/ikiwiki-test-bzr.$$";
 	my $bzr=`which bzr`;
 	chomp $bzr;
-	if (! -x $bzr || ! mkdir($dir)) {
+	if (! -x $bzr) {
 		eval q{
-			use Test::More skip_all => "bzr not available or could not make test dir"
+			use Test::More skip_all => "bzr not available"
 		}
 	}
+	if (! mkdir($dir)) {
+		die $@;
+	}
 }
 use Test::More tests => 17;
 
diff --git a/t/cvs.t b/t/cvs.t
index 96359ab6e..5ed377ed5 100755
--- a/t/cvs.t
+++ b/t/cvs.t
@@ -8,11 +8,14 @@ BEGIN {
 	chomp $cvs;
 	my $cvsps=`which cvsps`;
 	chomp $cvsps;
-	if (! -x $cvs || ! -x $cvsps || ! mkdir($dir)) {
+	if (! -x $cvs || ! -x $cvsps) {
 		eval q{
-			use Test::More skip_all => "cvs or cvsps not available or could not make test dir"
+			use Test::More skip_all => "cvs or cvsps not available"
 		}
 	}
+	if (! mkdir($dir)) {
+		die $@;
+	}
 	foreach my $module ('File::ReadBackwards', 'File::MimeInfo') {
 		eval qq{use $module};
 		if ($@) {
diff --git a/t/git.t b/t/git.t
index ee778ebf0..6d847dfb0 100755
--- a/t/git.t
+++ b/t/git.t
@@ -7,11 +7,14 @@ BEGIN {
 	$dir="/tmp/ikiwiki-test-git.$$";
 	my $git=`which git`;
 	chomp $git;
-	if (! -x $git || ! mkdir($dir)) {
+	if (! -x $git) {
 		eval q{
-			use Test::More skip_all => "git not available or could not make test dir"
+			use Test::More skip_all => "git not available"
 		}
 	}
+	if (! mkdir($dir)) {
+		die $@;
+	}
 }
 use Test::More tests => 18;
 
diff --git a/t/mercurial.t b/t/mercurial.t
index b64ea8e56..4918fc76e 100755
--- a/t/mercurial.t
+++ b/t/mercurial.t
@@ -6,11 +6,14 @@ BEGIN {
 	$dir = "/tmp/ikiwiki-test-hg.$$";
 	my $hg=`which hg`;
 	chomp $hg;
-	if (! -x $hg || ! mkdir($dir)) {
+	if (! -x $hg) {
 		eval q{
-			use Test::More skip_all => "hg not available or could not make test dir"
+			use Test::More skip_all => "hg not available"
 		}
 	}
+	if (! mkdir($dir)) {
+		die $@;
+	}
 }
 use Test::More tests => 11;
 
diff --git a/t/svn.t b/t/svn.t
index 82b71b5fc..cce8452a6 100755
--- a/t/svn.t
+++ b/t/svn.t
@@ -8,11 +8,14 @@ BEGIN {
 	chomp $svn;
 	my $svnadmin=`which svnadmin`;
 	chomp $svnadmin;
-	if (! -x $svn || ! -x $svnadmin || ! mkdir($dir)) {
+	if (! -x $svn || ! -x $svnadmin) {
 		eval q{
-			use Test::More skip_all => "svn not available or could not make test dir"
+			use Test::More skip_all => "svn or svnadmin not available"
 		}
 	}
+	if (! mkdir($dir)) {
+		die $@;
+	}
 }
 use Test::More tests => 12;