diff --git a/t/helper/test-pkt-line.c b/t/helper/test-pkt-line.c
index 282d536384..12ca698e17 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-pkt-line.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-pkt-line.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ static void unpack_sideband(void)
 		case PACKET_READ_NORMAL:
 			band = reader.line[0] & 0xff;
 			if (band < 1 || band > 2)
-				die("unexpected side band %d", band);
+				continue; /* skip non-sideband packets */
 			fd = band;
 
 			write_or_die(fd, reader.line + 1, reader.pktlen - 1);
diff --git a/t/t5703-upload-pack-ref-in-want.sh b/t/t5703-upload-pack-ref-in-want.sh
index 7fba3063bf..a34460f7d8 100755
--- a/t/t5703-upload-pack-ref-in-want.sh
+++ b/t/t5703-upload-pack-ref-in-want.sh
@@ -13,10 +13,7 @@ get_actual_refs () {
 }
 
 get_actual_commits () {
-	sed -n -e '/packfile/,/0000/{
-		/packfile/d
-		p
-		}' <out | test-tool pkt-line unpack-sideband >o.pack &&
+	test-tool pkt-line unpack-sideband <out >o.pack &&
 	git index-pack o.pack &&
 	git verify-pack -v o.idx >objs &&
 	grep commit objs | cut -d" " -f1 | sort >actual_commits