diff --git a/IntegrationTests/UI.IntegrationTests/CommandsDialogs/FormCommitTests.cs b/IntegrationTests/UI.IntegrationTests/CommandsDialogs/FormCommitTests.cs
index 17d91dcff76..58e797efbe6 100644
--- a/IntegrationTests/UI.IntegrationTests/CommandsDialogs/FormCommitTests.cs
+++ b/IntegrationTests/UI.IntegrationTests/CommandsDialogs/FormCommitTests.cs
@@ -201,23 +201,29 @@ public void PreserveCommitMessageOnReopenFromAmendCommit()
         [Test]
         public void SelectMessageFromHistory()
         {
+            const string lastCommitMessage = "last commit message";
+            AppSettings.LastCommitMessage = lastCommitMessage;
+
             RunFormTest(form =>
             {
                 var commitMessageToolStripMenuItem = form.GetTestAccessor().CommitMessageToolStripMenuItem;
 
                 // Verify the message appears correctly
                 commitMessageToolStripMenuItem.ShowDropDown();
-                Assert.AreEqual("A commit message", commitMessageToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems[0].Text);
+                commitMessageToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems[0].Text.Should().Be(lastCommitMessage);
 
                 // Verify the message is selected correctly
                 commitMessageToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems[0].PerformClick();
-                Assert.AreEqual("A commit message", form.GetTestAccessor().Message.Text);
+                form.GetTestAccessor().Message.Text.Should().Be(lastCommitMessage);
             });
         }
 
         [Test]
         public void Should_handle_well_commit_message_in_commit_message_menu()
         {
+            const string lastCommitMessage = "last commit message";
+            AppSettings.LastCommitMessage = lastCommitMessage;
+
             _referenceRepository.CreateCommit("Only first line\n\nof a multi-line commit message\nmust be displayed in the menu");
             _referenceRepository.CreateCommit("Too long commit message that should be shorten because first line of a commit message is only 50 chars long");
             RunFormTest(form =>
@@ -226,8 +232,9 @@ public void Should_handle_well_commit_message_in_commit_message_menu()
 
                 // Verify the message appears correctly
                 commitMessageToolStripMenuItem.ShowDropDown();
-                Assert.AreEqual("Too long commit message that should be shorten because first line of ...", commitMessageToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems[0].Text);
-                Assert.AreEqual("Only first line", commitMessageToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems[1].Text);
+                commitMessageToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems[0].Text.Should().Be(lastCommitMessage);
+                commitMessageToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems[1].Text.Should().Be("Too long commit message that should be shorten because first line of ...");
+                commitMessageToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems[2].Text.Should().Be("Only first line");
             });
         }
 
diff --git a/IntegrationTests/UI.IntegrationTests/UserControls/RevisionGrid/RevisionGridControlTests.cs b/IntegrationTests/UI.IntegrationTests/UserControls/RevisionGrid/RevisionGridControlTests.cs
index 58a0b9f8d8f..aabf3c664f9 100644
--- a/IntegrationTests/UI.IntegrationTests/UserControls/RevisionGrid/RevisionGridControlTests.cs
+++ b/IntegrationTests/UI.IntegrationTests/UserControls/RevisionGrid/RevisionGridControlTests.cs
@@ -199,6 +199,10 @@ public void View_reflects_reset_branch_filter()
         [Test]
         public void ToggleBetweenArtificialAndHeadCommits_no_empty([Values(false, true)] bool showGitStatusForArtificialCommits)
         {
+            File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(_referenceRepository.Module.WorkingDir, "new.txt"), "new");
+            File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(_referenceRepository.Module.WorkingDir, "stage.txt"), "staged");
+            _referenceRepository.Module.StageFile("stage.txt");
+
             RunToggleBetweenArtificialAndHeadCommitsTest(
                 showGitStatusForArtificialCommits,
                 revisionGridControl =>
@@ -231,7 +235,8 @@ public void ToggleBetweenArtificialAndHeadCommits_no_empty([Values(false, true)]
         [Test]
         public void ToggleBetweenArtificialAndHeadCommits_no_workdir_change([Values(false, true)] bool showGitStatusForArtificialCommits)
         {
-            File.Delete(Path.Combine(_referenceRepository.Module.WorkingDir, "A.txt"));
+            File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(_referenceRepository.Module.WorkingDir, "stage.txt"), "staged");
+            _referenceRepository.Module.StageFile("stage.txt");
 
             RunToggleBetweenArtificialAndHeadCommitsTest(
                 showGitStatusForArtificialCommits,
@@ -267,7 +272,6 @@ public void ToggleBetweenArtificialAndHeadCommits_no_workdir_change([Values(fals
         [Test]
         public void ToggleBetweenArtificialAndHeadCommits_no_index_change([Values(false, true)] bool showGitStatusForArtificialCommits)
         {
-            _referenceRepository.Module.Reset(ResetMode.Hard);
             File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(_referenceRepository.Module.WorkingDir, "new.txt"), "new");
 
             RunToggleBetweenArtificialAndHeadCommitsTest(
@@ -303,8 +307,6 @@ public void ToggleBetweenArtificialAndHeadCommits_no_index_change([Values(false,
         [Test]
         public void ToggleBetweenArtificialAndHeadCommits_no_change([Values(false, true)] bool showGitStatusForArtificialCommits)
         {
-            _referenceRepository.Module.Reset(ResetMode.Hard);
-
             RunToggleBetweenArtificialAndHeadCommitsTest(
                 showGitStatusForArtificialCommits,
                 revisionGridControl =>
diff --git a/UnitTests/CommonTestUtils/ReferenceRepository.cs b/UnitTests/CommonTestUtils/ReferenceRepository.cs
index dab9752d2b9..bf339fc36c5 100644
--- a/UnitTests/CommonTestUtils/ReferenceRepository.cs
+++ b/UnitTests/CommonTestUtils/ReferenceRepository.cs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ public static void ResetRepo(ref ReferenceRepository? refRepo)
                 catch (LibGit2Sharp.LockedFileException)
                 {
                     // the index is locked; this might be due to a concurrent or crashed process
+                    refRepo.Dispose();
                     refRepo = new ReferenceRepository();
                     Trace.WriteLine("Repo is locked, creating new");
                 }
@@ -46,12 +47,19 @@ public static void ResetRepo(ref ReferenceRepository? refRepo)
 
         private const string _fileName = "A.txt";
 
+        private void IndexAdd(Repository repository, string fileName)
+        {
+            repository.Index.Add(fileName);
+            repository.Index.Write();
+        }
+
         private string Commit(Repository repository, string commitMessage)
         {
             LibGit2Sharp.Signature author = new("GitUITests", "unittests@gitextensions.com", DateTimeOffset.Now);
             var committer = author;
             LibGit2Sharp.CommitOptions options = new() { PrettifyMessage = false };
             var commit = repository.Commit(commitMessage, author, committer, options);
+            repository.Index.Write();
             return commit.Id.Sha;
         }
 
@@ -66,7 +74,7 @@ public string CreateCommit(string commitMessage, string content = null)
         {
             using LibGit2Sharp.Repository repository = new(_moduleTestHelper.Module.WorkingDir);
             _moduleTestHelper.CreateRepoFile(_fileName, content ?? commitMessage);
-            repository.Index.Add(_fileName);
+            IndexAdd(repository, _fileName);
 
             CommitHash = Commit(repository, commitMessage);
             Console.WriteLine($"Created commit: {CommitHash}, message: {commitMessage}");
@@ -77,11 +85,11 @@ public string CreateCommit(string commitMessage, string content1, string fileNam
         {
             using LibGit2Sharp.Repository repository = new(_moduleTestHelper.Module.WorkingDir);
             _moduleTestHelper.CreateRepoFile(fileName1, content1);
-            repository.Index.Add(fileName1);
+            IndexAdd(repository, fileName1);
             if (content2 != null && fileName2 != null)
             {
                 _moduleTestHelper.CreateRepoFile(fileName2, content2);
-                repository.Index.Add(fileName2);
+                IndexAdd(repository, fileName2);
             }
 
             CommitHash = Commit(repository, commitMessage);
@@ -95,7 +103,7 @@ public string CreateCommitRelative(string fileRelativePath, string fileName, str
         {
             using Repository repository = new(_moduleTestHelper.Module.WorkingDir);
             _moduleTestHelper.CreateRepoFile(fileRelativePath, fileName, content ?? commitMessage);
-            repository.Index.Add(Path.Combine(fileRelativePath, fileName));
+            IndexAdd(repository, Path.Combine(fileRelativePath, fileName));
 
             CommitHash = Commit(repository, commitMessage);
             Console.WriteLine($"Created commit: {CommitHash}, message: {commitMessage}");
@@ -177,7 +185,7 @@ public void Stash(string stashMessage, string content = null)
         {
             using LibGit2Sharp.Repository repository = new(_moduleTestHelper.Module.WorkingDir);
             _moduleTestHelper.CreateRepoFile(_fileName, content ?? stashMessage);
-            repository.Index.Add(_fileName);
+            IndexAdd(repository, _fileName);
 
             LibGit2Sharp.Signature author = new("GitUITests", "unittests@gitextensions.com", DateTimeOffset.Now);
             Stash stash = repository.Stashes.Add(author, stashMessage);