diff --git a/test/lisp/dired-tests.el b/test/lisp/dired-tests.el
index 35795825365..f5f92fd6485 100644
--- a/test/lisp/dired-tests.el
+++ b/test/lisp/dired-tests.el
@@ -767,8 +767,11 @@ hence another buffer should be returned."
         (should (get-buffer-window errbuf))
         (should-not (equal (buffer-name buf) (file-name-nondirectory name)))
         (with-current-buffer errbuf
-          (should (equal (funcall ls-err (file-name-nondirectory name))
-                         (buffer-string))))
+          ;; The error message may report e.g. "/bin/ls" even though the
+          ;; value of `insert-directory-program' is "ls", so we can't
+          ;; test with `equal'.
+          (should (string-match-p (funcall ls-err (file-name-nondirectory name))
+                                  (buffer-string))))
         (kill-buffer errbuf))
       (delete-directory dir t))))
 
diff --git a/test/lisp/files-tests.el b/test/lisp/files-tests.el
index 7b049af7070..037e354d841 100644
--- a/test/lisp/files-tests.el
+++ b/test/lisp/files-tests.el
@@ -1048,8 +1048,11 @@ unquoted file names."
                         (concat (car errlist) fn (cadr errlist))))))
         (should errbuf)
         (with-current-buffer errbuf
-          (should (equal (funcall ls-err nospecial-dir)
-                         (buffer-string))))
+          ;; The error message may report e.g. "/bin/ls" even though the
+          ;; value of `insert-directory-program' is "ls", so we can't
+          ;; test with `equal'.
+          (should (string-match-p (funcall ls-err nospecial-dir)
+                                  (buffer-string))))
         (kill-buffer errbuf)))))
 
 (ert-deftest files-tests-file-name-non-special-insert-file-contents ()