diff --git a/t/t1301-shared-repo.sh b/t/t1301-shared-repo.sh
index 1312004f8c8ab1..dfece751b57282 100755
--- a/t/t1301-shared-repo.sh
+++ b/t/t1301-shared-repo.sh
@@ -19,10 +19,6 @@ test_expect_success 'shared = 0400 (faulty permission u-w)' '
 	)
 '
 
-modebits () {
-	ls -l "$1" | sed -e 's|^\(..........\).*|\1|'
-}
-
 for u in 002 022
 do
 	test_expect_success POSIXPERM "shared=1 does not clear bits preset by umask $u" '
@@ -88,7 +84,7 @@ do
 
 		rm -f .git/info/refs &&
 		git update-server-info &&
-		actual="$(modebits .git/info/refs)" &&
+		actual="$(test_modebits .git/info/refs)" &&
 		verbose test "x$actual" = "x-$y"
 
 	'
@@ -98,7 +94,7 @@ do
 
 		rm -f .git/info/refs &&
 		git update-server-info &&
-		actual="$(modebits .git/info/refs)" &&
+		actual="$(test_modebits .git/info/refs)" &&
 		verbose test "x$actual" = "x-$x"
 
 	'
@@ -111,7 +107,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM 'info/refs respects umask in unshared repo' '
 	umask 002 &&
 	git update-server-info &&
 	echo "-rw-rw-r--" >expect &&
-	modebits .git/info/refs >actual &&
+	test_modebits .git/info/refs >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
@@ -177,7 +173,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM 'remote init does not use config from cwd' '
 	umask 0022 &&
 	git init --bare child.git &&
 	echo "-rw-r--r--" >expect &&
-	modebits child.git/config >actual &&
+	test_modebits child.git/config >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
@@ -187,7 +183,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM 're-init respects core.sharedrepository (local)' '
 	echo whatever >templates/foo &&
 	git init --template=templates &&
 	echo "-rw-rw-rw-" >expect &&
-	modebits .git/foo >actual &&
+	test_modebits .git/foo >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
@@ -198,7 +194,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM 're-init respects core.sharedrepository (remote)'
 	test_path_is_missing child.git/foo &&
 	git init --bare --template=../templates child.git &&
 	echo "-rw-rw-rw-" >expect &&
-	modebits child.git/foo >actual &&
+	test_modebits child.git/foo >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
@@ -209,7 +205,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM 'template can set core.sharedrepository' '
 	cp .git/config templates/config &&
 	git init --bare --template=../templates child.git &&
 	echo "-rw-rw-rw-" >expect &&
-	modebits child.git/HEAD >actual &&
+	test_modebits child.git/HEAD >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
diff --git a/t/test-lib-functions.sh b/t/test-lib-functions.sh
index 5ee124332a713b..db622c3555dcbf 100644
--- a/t/test-lib-functions.sh
+++ b/t/test-lib-functions.sh
@@ -216,6 +216,11 @@ test_chmod () {
 	git update-index --add "--chmod=$@"
 }
 
+# Get the modebits from a file.
+test_modebits () {
+	ls -l "$1" | sed -e 's|^\(..........\).*|\1|'
+}
+
 # Unset a configuration variable, but don't fail if it doesn't exist.
 test_unconfig () {
 	config_dir=