diff --git a/test/completions.bats b/test/completions.bats
index 8bfb88d5..4b05357a 100644
--- a/test/completions.bats
+++ b/test/completions.bats
@@ -41,8 +41,7 @@ else
   exit 1
 fi"
   run rbenv-completions hello happy world
-  assert_success
-  assert_line 0 "happy"
-  assert_line 1 "world"
-  refute_line 2
+  assert_success "\
+    happy
+    world"
 }
diff --git a/test/exec.bats b/test/exec.bats
index 92338aea..7d80bcd0 100644
--- a/test/exec.bats
+++ b/test/exec.bats
@@ -22,10 +22,9 @@ create_executable() {
 
   rbenv-rehash
   run rbenv-completions exec
-  assert_success
-  assert_line 0 "rake"
-  assert_line 1 "ruby"
-  refute_line 2
+  assert_success "\
+    rake
+    ruby"
 }
 
 @test "supports hook path with spaces" {
@@ -45,20 +44,19 @@ create_executable() {
     echo \$0
     while [[ \$# -gt 0 ]]; do
       # hack to avoid bash builtin echo which can't output '-e'
-      cat <<<\"\$1\"
+      printf \"%s\\n\" \"\$1\"
       shift 1
-    done
-    "
+    done"
 
   run rbenv-exec ruby -w -e "puts 'hello world'" -- extra args
-  assert_line 0 "${RBENV_ROOT}/versions/2.0/bin/ruby"
-  assert_line 1 "-w"
-  assert_line 2 "-e"
-  assert_line 3 "puts 'hello world'"
-  assert_line 4 "--"
-  assert_line 5 "extra"
-  assert_line 6 "args"
-  refute_line 7
+  assert_success "\
+    ${RBENV_ROOT}/versions/2.0/bin/ruby
+    -w
+    -e
+    puts 'hello world'
+    --
+    extra
+    args"
 }
 
 @test "supports ruby -S <cmd>" {
diff --git a/test/hooks.bats b/test/hooks.bats
index da450b6a..7d3b253f 100644
--- a/test/hooks.bats
+++ b/test/hooks.bats
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ create_hook() {
   create_hook "$path2" exec "bueno.bash"
 
   RBENV_HOOK_PATH="$path1:$path2" run rbenv-hooks exec
-  assert_success
-  assert_line 0 "${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/rbenv.d/exec/ahoy.bash"
-  assert_line 1 "${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/rbenv.d/exec/hello.bash"
-  assert_line 2 "${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/etc/rbenv_hooks/exec/bueno.bash"
+  assert_success "\
+    ${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/rbenv.d/exec/ahoy.bash
+    ${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/rbenv.d/exec/hello.bash
+    ${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/etc/rbenv_hooks/exec/bueno.bash"
 }
 
 @test "supports hook paths with spaces" {
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ create_hook() {
   create_hook "$path2" exec "ahoy.bash"
 
   RBENV_HOOK_PATH="$path1:$path2" run rbenv-hooks exec
-  assert_success
-  assert_line 0 "${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/my hooks/rbenv.d/exec/hello.bash"
-  assert_line 1 "${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/etc/rbenv hooks/exec/ahoy.bash"
+  assert_success "\
+    ${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/my hooks/rbenv.d/exec/hello.bash
+    ${RBENV_TEST_DIR}/etc/rbenv hooks/exec/ahoy.bash"
 }
 
 @test "resolves relative paths" {
diff --git a/test/test_helper.bash b/test/test_helper.bash
index 5fb24def..1d49ab2a 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.bash
+++ b/test/test_helper.bash
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ assert_success() {
   if [ "$status" -ne 0 ]; then
     flunk "command failed with exit status $status"
   elif [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; then
-    assert_output "$1"
+    assert_output_lines "$1"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ assert_failure() {
   if [ "$status" -eq 0 ]; then
     flunk "expected failed exit status"
   elif [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; then
-    assert_output "$1"
+    assert_output_lines "$1"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -50,10 +50,25 @@ assert_output() {
   assert_equal "$1" "$output"
 }
 
+# compares lines with leading whitespace trimmed
+assert_output_lines() {
+  local -a expected
+  IFS=$'\n' expected=($1)
+  for (( i=0; i < ${#expected[@]}; i++ )); do
+    local wants="${expected[$i]}"
+    local got="${lines[$i]}"
+    assert_equal \
+      "${wants#"${wants%%[![:space:]]*}"}" \
+      "${got#"${got%%[![:space:]]*}"}"
+  done
+  assert_equal "${expected[$i]}" "${lines[$i]}"
+}
+
 assert_line() {
   if [ "$1" -ge 0 ] 2>/dev/null; then
     assert_equal "$2" "${lines[$1]}"
   else
+    local line
     for line in "${lines[@]}"; do
       if [ "$line" = "$1" ]; then return 0; fi
     done
@@ -63,11 +78,12 @@ assert_line() {
 
 refute_line() {
   if [ "$1" -ge 0 ] 2>/dev/null; then
-    num_lines="${#lines[@]}"
+    local num_lines="${#lines[@]}"
     if [ "$1" -lt "$num_lines" ]; then
       flunk "output has $num_lines lines"
     fi
   else
+    local line
     for line in "${lines[@]}"; do
       if [ "$line" = "$1" ]; then
         flunk "expected to not find line \`$line'"