diff --git a/tests/t10-refs.c b/tests/t10-refs.c
index d3f5620c9..db767a107 100644
--- a/tests/t10-refs.c
+++ b/tests/t10-refs.c
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ END_TEST
 
 BEGIN_TEST(create0, "create a new symbolic reference")
 	git_reference *new_reference, *looked_up_ref, *resolved_ref;
-	git_repository *repo;
+	git_repository *repo, *repo2;
 	git_oid id;
 	char ref_path[GIT_PATH_MAX];
 
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(create0, "create a new symbolic reference")
 
 	git_oid_mkstr(&id, current_master_tip);
 
-	must_pass(git_repository_open(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
+	must_pass(open_temp_repo(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
 
 	/* Retrieve the physical path to the symbolic ref for further cleaning */
 	git__joinpath(ref_path, repo->path_repository, new_head_tracker);
@@ -230,14 +230,13 @@ BEGIN_TEST(create0, "create a new symbolic reference")
 	git_repository_free(repo);
 
 	/* Similar test with a fresh new repository */
-	must_pass(git_repository_open(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
+	must_pass(git_repository_open(&repo2, TEMP_REPO_FOLDER));
 
-	must_pass(git_reference_lookup(&looked_up_ref, repo, new_head_tracker));
+	must_pass(git_reference_lookup(&looked_up_ref, repo2, new_head_tracker));
 	must_pass(git_reference_resolve(&resolved_ref, looked_up_ref));
 	must_be_true(git_oid_cmp(&id, git_reference_oid(resolved_ref)) == 0);
 
-	git_reference_delete(looked_up_ref);
-	git_repository_free(repo);
+	close_temp_repo(repo2);
 END_TEST
 
 BEGIN_TEST(create1, "create a deep symbolic reference")
@@ -250,7 +249,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(create1, "create a deep symbolic reference")
 
 	git_oid_mkstr(&id, current_master_tip);
 
-	must_pass(git_repository_open(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
+	must_pass(open_temp_repo(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
 
 	git__joinpath(ref_path, repo->path_repository, new_head_tracker);
 	must_pass(git_reference_create_symbolic(&new_reference, repo, new_head_tracker, current_head_target));
@@ -258,13 +257,12 @@ BEGIN_TEST(create1, "create a deep symbolic reference")
 	must_pass(git_reference_resolve(&resolved_ref, looked_up_ref));
 	must_be_true(git_oid_cmp(&id, git_reference_oid(resolved_ref)) == 0);
 
-	git_reference_delete(looked_up_ref);
-	git_repository_free(repo);
+	close_temp_repo(repo);
 END_TEST
 
 BEGIN_TEST(create2, "create a new OID reference")
 	git_reference *new_reference, *looked_up_ref;
-	git_repository *repo;
+	git_repository *repo, *repo2;
 	git_oid id;
 	char ref_path[GIT_PATH_MAX];
 
@@ -272,7 +270,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(create2, "create a new OID reference")
 
 	git_oid_mkstr(&id, current_master_tip);
 
-	must_pass(git_repository_open(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
+	must_pass(open_temp_repo(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
 
 	/* Retrieve the physical path to the symbolic ref for further cleaning */
 	git__joinpath(ref_path, repo->path_repository, new_head);
@@ -292,13 +290,12 @@ BEGIN_TEST(create2, "create a new OID reference")
 	git_repository_free(repo);
 
 	/* Similar test with a fresh new repository */
-	must_pass(git_repository_open(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
+	must_pass(git_repository_open(&repo2, TEMP_REPO_FOLDER));
 
 	must_pass(git_reference_lookup(&looked_up_ref, repo, new_head));
 	must_be_true(git_oid_cmp(&id, git_reference_oid(looked_up_ref)) == 0);
 
-	git_reference_delete(looked_up_ref);
-	git_repository_free(repo);
+	close_temp_repo(repo2);
 END_TEST
 
 BEGIN_TEST(create3, "Can not create a new OID reference which targets at an unknown id")
@@ -329,7 +326,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(overwrite0, "Overwrite an existing symbolic reference")
 	git_reference *ref, *branch_ref;
 	git_repository *repo;
 
-	must_pass(git_repository_open(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
+	must_pass(open_temp_repo(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
 
 	/* The target needds to exist and we need to check the name has changed */
 	must_pass(git_reference_create_symbolic(&branch_ref, repo, ref_branch_name, ref_master_name));
@@ -348,9 +345,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(overwrite0, "Overwrite an existing symbolic reference")
 	must_be_true(git_reference_type(ref) & GIT_REF_SYMBOLIC);
 	must_be_true(!strcmp(git_reference_target(ref), ref_master_name));
 
-	must_pass(git_reference_delete(ref));
-	must_pass(git_reference_delete(branch_ref));
-	git_repository_free(repo);
+	close_temp_repo(repo);
 END_TEST
 
 BEGIN_TEST(overwrite1, "Overwrite an existing object id reference")
@@ -358,7 +353,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(overwrite1, "Overwrite an existing object id reference")
 	git_repository *repo;
 	git_oid id;
 
-	must_pass(git_repository_open(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
+	must_pass(open_temp_repo(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
 
 	must_pass(git_reference_lookup(&ref, repo, ref_master_name));
 	must_be_true(ref->type & GIT_REF_OID);
@@ -379,8 +374,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(overwrite1, "Overwrite an existing object id reference")
 	must_pass(git_reference_lookup(&ref, repo, ref_name));
 	must_be_true(!git_oid_cmp(&id, git_reference_oid(ref)));
 
-	git_reference_delete(ref);
-	git_repository_free(repo);
+	close_temp_repo(repo);
 END_TEST
 
 BEGIN_TEST(overwrite2, "Overwrite an existing object id reference with a symbolic one")
@@ -388,7 +382,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(overwrite2, "Overwrite an existing object id reference with a symboli
 	git_repository *repo;
 	git_oid id;
 
-	must_pass(git_repository_open(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
+	must_pass(open_temp_repo(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
 
 	must_pass(git_reference_lookup(&ref, repo, ref_master_name));
 	must_be_true(ref->type & GIT_REF_OID);
@@ -403,8 +397,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(overwrite2, "Overwrite an existing object id reference with a symboli
 	must_be_true(git_reference_type(ref) & GIT_REF_SYMBOLIC);
 	must_be_true(!strcmp(git_reference_target(ref), ref_master_name));
 
-	git_reference_delete(ref);
-	git_repository_free(repo);
+	close_temp_repo(repo);
 END_TEST
 
 BEGIN_TEST(overwrite3, "Overwrite an existing symbolic reference with an object id one")
@@ -412,7 +405,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(overwrite3, "Overwrite an existing symbolic reference with an object
 	git_repository *repo;
 	git_oid id;
 
-	must_pass(git_repository_open(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
+	must_pass(open_temp_repo(&repo, REPOSITORY_FOLDER));
 
 	must_pass(git_reference_lookup(&ref, repo, ref_master_name));
 	must_be_true(ref->type & GIT_REF_OID);
@@ -429,8 +422,7 @@ BEGIN_TEST(overwrite3, "Overwrite an existing symbolic reference with an object
 	must_be_true(git_reference_type(ref) & GIT_REF_OID);
 	must_be_true(!git_oid_cmp(git_reference_oid(ref), &id));
 
-	git_reference_delete(ref);
-	git_repository_free(repo);
+	close_temp_repo(repo);
 END_TEST
 
 BEGIN_TEST(pack0, "create a packfile for an empty folder")