diff --git a/t/t4150-am.sh b/t/t4150-am.sh
index 73b67b4280..91a3bb2bac 100755
--- a/t/t4150-am.sh
+++ b/t/t4150-am.sh
@@ -69,13 +69,15 @@ test_expect_success 'setup: messages' '
 
 	EOF
 
-	cat >scissors-msg <<-\EOF &&
-	Test git-am with scissors line
+	cat >msg-without-scissors-line <<-\EOF &&
+	Test that git-am --scissors cuts at the scissors line
 
 	This line should be included in the commit message.
 	EOF
 
-	cat - scissors-msg >no-scissors-msg <<-\EOF &&
+	printf "Subject: " >subject-prefix &&
+
+	cat - subject-prefix msg-without-scissors-line >msg-with-scissors-line <<-\EOF &&
 	This line should not be included in the commit message with --scissors enabled.
 
 	 - - >8 - - remove everything above this line - - >8 - -
@@ -148,18 +150,17 @@ test_expect_success setup '
 	} >patch1-hg.eml &&
 
 
-	echo scissors-file >scissors-file &&
-	git add scissors-file &&
-	git commit -F scissors-msg &&
-	git tag scissors &&
-	git format-patch --stdout scissors^ >scissors-patch.eml &&
+	echo file >file &&
+	git add file &&
+	git commit -F msg-without-scissors-line &&
+	git tag expected-for-scissors &&
 	git reset --hard HEAD^ &&
 
-	echo no-scissors-file >no-scissors-file &&
-	git add no-scissors-file &&
-	git commit -F no-scissors-msg &&
-	git tag no-scissors &&
-	git format-patch --stdout no-scissors^ >no-scissors-patch.eml &&
+	echo file >file &&
+	git add file &&
+	git commit -F msg-with-scissors-line &&
+	git tag expected-for-no-scissors &&
+	git format-patch --stdout expected-for-no-scissors^ >patch-with-scissors-line.eml &&
 	git reset --hard HEAD^ &&
 
 	sed -n -e "3,\$p" msg >file &&
@@ -416,10 +417,10 @@ test_expect_success 'am --scissors cuts the message at the scissors line' '
 	rm -fr .git/rebase-apply &&
 	git reset --hard &&
 	git checkout second &&
-	git am --scissors scissors-patch.eml &&
+	git am --scissors patch-with-scissors-line.eml &&
 	test_path_is_missing .git/rebase-apply &&
-	git diff --exit-code scissors &&
-	test_cmp_rev scissors HEAD
+	git diff --exit-code expected-for-scissors &&
+	test_cmp_rev expected-for-scissors HEAD
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'am --no-scissors overrides mailinfo.scissors' '
@@ -427,10 +428,10 @@ test_expect_success 'am --no-scissors overrides mailinfo.scissors' '
 	git reset --hard &&
 	git checkout second &&
 	test_config mailinfo.scissors true &&
-	git am --no-scissors no-scissors-patch.eml &&
+	git am --no-scissors patch-with-scissors-line.eml &&
 	test_path_is_missing .git/rebase-apply &&
-	git diff --exit-code no-scissors &&
-	test_cmp_rev no-scissors HEAD
+	git diff --exit-code expected-for-no-scissors &&
+	test_cmp_rev expected-for-no-scissors HEAD
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'setup: new author and committer' '