diff --git a/t/show-ref-exists-tests.sh b/t/show-ref-exists-tests.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..36e8e9df33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/show-ref-exists-tests.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+git_show_ref_exists=${git_show_ref_exists:-git show-ref --exists}
+
+test_expect_success setup '
+	test_commit --annotate A &&
+	git checkout -b side &&
+	test_commit --annotate B &&
+	git checkout main &&
+	test_commit C &&
+	git branch B A^0
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--exists with existing reference' '
+	${git_show_ref_exists} refs/heads/$GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--exists with missing reference' '
+	test_expect_code 2 ${git_show_ref_exists} refs/heads/does-not-exist
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--exists does not use DWIM' '
+	test_expect_code 2 ${git_show_ref_exists} $GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME 2>err &&
+	grep "reference does not exist" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--exists with HEAD' '
+	${git_show_ref_exists} HEAD
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--exists with bad reference name' '
+	test_when_finished "git update-ref -d refs/heads/bad...name" &&
+	new_oid=$(git rev-parse HEAD) &&
+	test-tool ref-store main update-ref msg refs/heads/bad...name $new_oid $ZERO_OID REF_SKIP_REFNAME_VERIFICATION &&
+	${git_show_ref_exists} refs/heads/bad...name
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--exists with arbitrary symref' '
+	test_when_finished "git symbolic-ref -d refs/symref" &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/symref refs/heads/$GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME &&
+	${git_show_ref_exists} refs/symref
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--exists with dangling symref' '
+	test_when_finished "git symbolic-ref -d refs/heads/dangling" &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/dangling refs/heads/does-not-exist &&
+	${git_show_ref_exists} refs/heads/dangling
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--exists with nonexistent object ID' '
+	test-tool ref-store main update-ref msg refs/heads/missing-oid $(test_oid 001) $ZERO_OID REF_SKIP_OID_VERIFICATION &&
+	${git_show_ref_exists} refs/heads/missing-oid
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--exists with non-commit object' '
+	tree_oid=$(git rev-parse HEAD^{tree}) &&
+	test-tool ref-store main update-ref msg refs/heads/tree ${tree_oid} $ZERO_OID REF_SKIP_OID_VERIFICATION &&
+	${git_show_ref_exists} refs/heads/tree
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--exists with directory fails with generic error' '
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	error: reference does not exist
+	EOF
+	test_expect_code 2 ${git_show_ref_exists} refs/heads 2>err &&
+	test_cmp expect err
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--exists with non-existent special ref' '
+	test_expect_code 2 ${git_show_ref_exists} FETCH_HEAD
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--exists with existing special ref' '
+	test_when_finished "rm .git/FETCH_HEAD" &&
+	git rev-parse HEAD >.git/FETCH_HEAD &&
+	${git_show_ref_exists} FETCH_HEAD
+'
+
+test_done
diff --git a/t/t1422-show-ref-exists.sh b/t/t1422-show-ref-exists.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 0eccb2dce1..fdca3f16c8
--- a/t/t1422-show-ref-exists.sh
+++ b/t/t1422-show-ref-exists.sh
@@ -6,78 +6,4 @@ export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
-test_expect_success setup '
-	test_commit --annotate A &&
-	git checkout -b side &&
-	test_commit --annotate B &&
-	git checkout main &&
-	test_commit C &&
-	git branch B A^0
-'
-
-test_expect_success '--exists with existing reference' '
-	git show-ref --exists refs/heads/$GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
-'
-
-test_expect_success '--exists with missing reference' '
-	test_expect_code 2 git show-ref --exists refs/heads/does-not-exist
-'
-
-test_expect_success '--exists does not use DWIM' '
-	test_expect_code 2 git show-ref --exists $GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME 2>err &&
-	grep "reference does not exist" err
-'
-
-test_expect_success '--exists with HEAD' '
-	git show-ref --exists HEAD
-'
-
-test_expect_success '--exists with bad reference name' '
-	test_when_finished "git update-ref -d refs/heads/bad...name" &&
-	new_oid=$(git rev-parse HEAD) &&
-	test-tool ref-store main update-ref msg refs/heads/bad...name $new_oid $ZERO_OID REF_SKIP_REFNAME_VERIFICATION &&
-	git show-ref --exists refs/heads/bad...name
-'
-
-test_expect_success '--exists with arbitrary symref' '
-	test_when_finished "git symbolic-ref -d refs/symref" &&
-	git symbolic-ref refs/symref refs/heads/$GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME &&
-	git show-ref --exists refs/symref
-'
-
-test_expect_success '--exists with dangling symref' '
-	test_when_finished "git symbolic-ref -d refs/heads/dangling" &&
-	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/dangling refs/heads/does-not-exist &&
-	git show-ref --exists refs/heads/dangling
-'
-
-test_expect_success '--exists with nonexistent object ID' '
-	test-tool ref-store main update-ref msg refs/heads/missing-oid $(test_oid 001) $ZERO_OID REF_SKIP_OID_VERIFICATION &&
-	git show-ref --exists refs/heads/missing-oid
-'
-
-test_expect_success '--exists with non-commit object' '
-	tree_oid=$(git rev-parse HEAD^{tree}) &&
-	test-tool ref-store main update-ref msg refs/heads/tree ${tree_oid} $ZERO_OID REF_SKIP_OID_VERIFICATION &&
-	git show-ref --exists refs/heads/tree
-'
-
-test_expect_success '--exists with directory fails with generic error' '
-	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
-	error: reference does not exist
-	EOF
-	test_expect_code 2 git show-ref --exists refs/heads 2>err &&
-	test_cmp expect err
-'
-
-test_expect_success '--exists with non-existent special ref' '
-	test_expect_code 2 git show-ref --exists FETCH_HEAD
-'
-
-test_expect_success '--exists with existing special ref' '
-	test_when_finished "rm .git/FETCH_HEAD" &&
-	git rev-parse HEAD >.git/FETCH_HEAD &&
-	git show-ref --exists FETCH_HEAD
-'
-
-test_done
+. "$TEST_DIRECTORY"/show-ref-exists-tests.sh