diff --git a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
index 7c8c41a1a0..7b4707b776 100755
--- a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
+++ b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
@@ -136,14 +136,6 @@ test_expect_success 'update-ref --no-deref -d can delete reference to bad ref' '
 	test_path_is_missing .git/refs/heads/ref-to-bad
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'update-ref --no-deref -d can delete reference to broken name' '
-	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/badname refs/heads/broken...ref &&
-	test_when_finished "rm -f .git/refs/heads/badname" &&
-	test_path_is_file .git/refs/heads/badname &&
-	git update-ref --no-deref -d refs/heads/badname &&
-	test_path_is_missing .git/refs/heads/badname
-'
-
 test_expect_success '(not) create HEAD with old sha1' "
 	test_must_fail git update-ref HEAD $A $B
 "
@@ -408,12 +400,6 @@ test_expect_success 'stdin fails create with no ref' '
 	grep "fatal: create: missing <ref>" err
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'stdin fails create with bad ref name' '
-	echo "create ~a $m" >stdin &&
-	test_must_fail git update-ref --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
-	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a" err
-'
-
 test_expect_success 'stdin fails create with no new value' '
 	echo "create $a" >stdin &&
 	test_must_fail git update-ref --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
@@ -432,12 +418,6 @@ test_expect_success 'stdin fails update with no ref' '
 	grep "fatal: update: missing <ref>" err
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'stdin fails update with bad ref name' '
-	echo "update ~a $m" >stdin &&
-	test_must_fail git update-ref --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
-	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a" err
-'
-
 test_expect_success 'stdin fails update with no new value' '
 	echo "update $a" >stdin &&
 	test_must_fail git update-ref --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
@@ -456,12 +436,6 @@ test_expect_success 'stdin fails delete with no ref' '
 	grep "fatal: delete: missing <ref>" err
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'stdin fails delete with bad ref name' '
-	echo "delete ~a $m" >stdin &&
-	test_must_fail git update-ref --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
-	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a" err
-'
-
 test_expect_success 'stdin fails delete with too many arguments' '
 	echo "delete $a $m $m" >stdin &&
 	test_must_fail git update-ref --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
@@ -734,12 +708,6 @@ test_expect_success 'stdin -z fails create with no ref' '
 	grep "fatal: create: missing <ref>" err
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'stdin -z fails create with bad ref name' '
-	printf $F "create ~a " "$m" >stdin &&
-	test_must_fail git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
-	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a " err
-'
-
 test_expect_success 'stdin -z fails create with no new value' '
 	printf $F "create $a" >stdin &&
 	test_must_fail git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
@@ -764,12 +732,6 @@ test_expect_success 'stdin -z fails update with too few args' '
 	grep "fatal: update $a: unexpected end of input when reading <oldvalue>" err
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'stdin -z fails update with bad ref name' '
-	printf $F "update ~a" "$m" "" >stdin &&
-	test_must_fail git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
-	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a" err
-'
-
 test_expect_success 'stdin -z emits warning with empty new value' '
 	git update-ref $a $m &&
 	printf $F "update $a" "" "" >stdin &&
@@ -802,12 +764,6 @@ test_expect_success 'stdin -z fails delete with no ref' '
 	grep "fatal: delete: missing <ref>" err
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'stdin -z fails delete with bad ref name' '
-	printf $F "delete ~a" "$m" >stdin &&
-	test_must_fail git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
-	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a" err
-'
-
 test_expect_success 'stdin -z fails delete with no old value' '
 	printf $F "delete $a" >stdin &&
 	test_must_fail git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
diff --git a/t/t1430-bad-ref-name.sh b/t/t1430-bad-ref-name.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..c7b19b0548
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t1430-bad-ref-name.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='Test handling of ref names that check-ref-format rejects'
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success setup '
+	test_commit one
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'fast-import: fail on invalid branch name ".badbranchname"' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -f .git/objects/pack_* .git/objects/index_*" &&
+	cat >input <<-INPUT_END &&
+		commit .badbranchname
+		committer $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> $GIT_COMMITTER_DATE
+		data <<COMMIT
+		corrupt
+		COMMIT
+
+		from refs/heads/master
+
+	INPUT_END
+	test_must_fail git fast-import <input
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'fast-import: fail on invalid branch name "bad[branch]name"' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -f .git/objects/pack_* .git/objects/index_*" &&
+	cat >input <<-INPUT_END &&
+		commit bad[branch]name
+		committer $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> $GIT_COMMITTER_DATE
+		data <<COMMIT
+		corrupt
+		COMMIT
+
+		from refs/heads/master
+
+	INPUT_END
+	test_must_fail git fast-import <input
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'update-ref --no-deref -d can delete reference to broken name' '
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/badname refs/heads/broken...ref &&
+	test_when_finished "rm -f .git/refs/heads/badname" &&
+	test_path_is_file .git/refs/heads/badname &&
+	git update-ref --no-deref -d refs/heads/badname &&
+	test_path_is_missing .git/refs/heads/badname
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'update-ref --stdin fails create with bad ref name' '
+	echo "create ~a refs/heads/master" >stdin &&
+	test_must_fail git update-ref --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
+	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'update-ref --stdin fails update with bad ref name' '
+	echo "update ~a refs/heads/master" >stdin &&
+	test_must_fail git update-ref --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
+	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'update-ref --stdin fails delete with bad ref name' '
+	echo "delete ~a refs/heads/master" >stdin &&
+	test_must_fail git update-ref --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
+	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'update-ref --stdin -z fails create with bad ref name' '
+	printf "%s\0" "create ~a " refs/heads/master >stdin &&
+	test_must_fail git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
+	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a " err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'update-ref --stdin -z fails update with bad ref name' '
+	printf "%s\0" "update ~a" refs/heads/master "" >stdin &&
+	test_must_fail git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
+	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'update-ref --stdin -z fails delete with bad ref name' '
+	printf "%s\0" "delete ~a" refs/heads/master >stdin &&
+	test_must_fail git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
+	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a" err
+'
+
+test_done
diff --git a/t/t9300-fast-import.sh b/t/t9300-fast-import.sh
index 8df0445a84..37c2d633f0 100755
--- a/t/t9300-fast-import.sh
+++ b/t/t9300-fast-import.sh
@@ -346,36 +346,6 @@ test_expect_success 'B: fail on invalid blob sha1' '
 '
 rm -f .git/objects/pack_* .git/objects/index_*
 
-cat >input <<INPUT_END
-commit .badbranchname
-committer $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> $GIT_COMMITTER_DATE
-data <<COMMIT
-corrupt
-COMMIT
-
-from refs/heads/master
-
-INPUT_END
-test_expect_success 'B: fail on invalid branch name ".badbranchname"' '
-    test_must_fail git fast-import <input
-'
-rm -f .git/objects/pack_* .git/objects/index_*
-
-cat >input <<INPUT_END
-commit bad[branch]name
-committer $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> $GIT_COMMITTER_DATE
-data <<COMMIT
-corrupt
-COMMIT
-
-from refs/heads/master
-
-INPUT_END
-test_expect_success 'B: fail on invalid branch name "bad[branch]name"' '
-    test_must_fail git fast-import <input
-'
-rm -f .git/objects/pack_* .git/objects/index_*
-
 cat >input <<INPUT_END
 commit TEMP_TAG
 committer $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> $GIT_COMMITTER_DATE