diff --git a/t/t9001-subdir-push.sh b/t/t9001-subdir-push.sh
index 9fc4b855..aeb60893 100755
--- a/t/t9001-subdir-push.sh
+++ b/t/t9001-subdir-push.sh
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ TEST_DIRECTORY=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)
 # Setup: create upstream repository
 test_expect_success 'setup: create upstream repository' '
 	mkdir -p upstream &&
-	(cd upstream && git init --bare)
+	(cd upstream &&
+	 git init --bare &&
+	 git symbolic-ref HEAD refs/heads/main)
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'setup: create working clone' '
diff --git a/t/t9004-workspace-routing.sh b/t/t9004-workspace-routing.sh
index ad2e16f3..8d3c2c74 100755
--- a/t/t9004-workspace-routing.sh
+++ b/t/t9004-workspace-routing.sh
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ test_expect_success 'setup: create repository with initial commit' '
 	mkdir repo &&
 	(cd repo &&
 	 git init &&
+	 git symbolic-ref HEAD refs/heads/main &&
 	 git config user.email "test@example.com" &&
 	 git config user.name "Test User" &&
 	 echo "hello" > README.md &&
diff --git a/t/t9005-workspace-commit-push.sh b/t/t9005-workspace-commit-push.sh
index 3cb0ec2e..9e358b77 100755
--- a/t/t9005-workspace-commit-push.sh
+++ b/t/t9005-workspace-commit-push.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ TEST_DIRECTORY=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)
 
 test_expect_success 'setup: create upstream bare repository and working clone' '
 	mkdir upstream.git &&
-	(cd upstream.git && git init --bare) &&
+	(cd upstream.git &&
+	 git init --bare &&
+	 git symbolic-ref HEAD refs/heads/main) &&
 	git clone upstream.git work &&
 	(cd work &&
 	 git config user.email "test@example.com" &&