diff --git a/tests/integration.rc b/tests/integration.rc
index 5a4e38d..a40d0ce 100755
--- a/tests/integration.rc
+++ b/tests/integration.rc
@@ -123,6 +123,16 @@ fn assert_event_schema {
 	' $file || fail event schema validation failed for $file
 }
 
+fn queue_event {
+	repo=$1
+	name=$2
+	old=$3
+	new=$4
+	ref=$5
+	kind=$6
+	printf '1\t%s\t%s\t%s\tactor\t1\t%s\n' $old $new $ref $kind >$repo^/sip/queue/$name^.event
+}
+
 fn setup_pair {
 	tmp=`{mktemp -d /tmp/sip-it.XXXXXX}
 	mkdir -p $tmp^/src
@@ -435,34 +445,24 @@ fn test_stale_events_do_not_overwrite_status {
 fn test_malformed_event_is_failed {
 	tmp=`{setup_pair}
 	remote=$tmp^/remote.git
+	zero=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
+	new=1111111111111111111111111111111111111111
 
 	mkdir -p $remote^/sip/queue
 	printf '1\tbad\tbad\trefs/heads/main\tactor\t0\tcreate\n' >$remote^/sip/queue/bad.event
-	printf '2\t0000000000000000000000000000000000000000\t1111111111111111111111111111111111111111\trefs/heads/main\tactor\t1\tcreate\n' >$remote^/sip/queue/bad-version.event
-	printf '1\t0000000000000000000000000000000000000000\t1111111111111111111111111111111111111111\trefs/notes/main\tactor\t1\tcreate\n' >$remote^/sip/queue/bad-ref.event
-	printf '1\t0000000000000000000000000000000000000000\t1111111111111111111111111111111111111111\trefs/heads/../ci/pwn\tactor\t1\tcreate\n' >$remote^/sip/queue/bad-ref-traversal.event
-	printf '1\t0000000000000000000000000000000000000000\t1111111111111111111111111111111111111111\trefs/heads//x\tactor\t1\tcreate\n' >$remote^/sip/queue/bad-ref-slash.event
-	printf '1\t0000000000000000000000000000000000000000\t1111111111111111111111111111111111111111\trefs/heads/topic.lock\tactor\t1\tcreate\n' >$remote^/sip/queue/bad-ref-lock.event
-	printf '1\t0000000000000000000000000000000000000000\t1111111111111111111111111111111111111111\trefs/heads/bad..name\tactor\t1\tcreate\n' >$remote^/sip/queue/bad-ref-dotdot.event
-	printf '1\t0000000000000000000000000000000000000000\t1111111111111111111111111111111111111111\trefs/heads/main\tactor\t1\tupdate\n' >$remote^/sip/queue/bad-kind.event
+	printf '2\t%s\t%s\trefs/heads/main\tactor\t1\tcreate\n' $zero $new >$remote^/sip/queue/bad-version.event
+	queue_event $remote bad-ref $zero $new refs/notes/main create
+	queue_event $remote bad-ref-traversal $zero $new refs/heads/../ci/pwn create
+	queue_event $remote bad-ref-slash $zero $new refs/heads//x create
+	queue_event $remote bad-ref-lock $zero $new refs/heads/topic.lock create
+	queue_event $remote bad-ref-dotdot $zero $new refs/heads/bad..name create
+	queue_event $remote bad-kind $zero $new refs/heads/main update
 
 	$root^/bin/sip-worker.rc $remote >/dev/null >[2]/dev/null
-	if(! test -f $remote^/sip/failed/bad.event)
-		fail malformed event should move to failed queue
-	if(! test -f $remote^/sip/failed/bad-version.event)
-		fail unsupported event version should move to failed queue
-	if(! test -f $remote^/sip/failed/bad-ref.event)
-		fail unknown event ref namespace should move to failed queue
-	if(! test -f $remote^/sip/failed/bad-ref-traversal.event)
-		fail traversal-like event ref should move to failed queue
-	if(! test -f $remote^/sip/failed/bad-ref-slash.event)
-		fail event ref with double slash should move to failed queue
-	if(! test -f $remote^/sip/failed/bad-ref-lock.event)
-		fail event ref with lock suffix should move to failed queue
-	if(! test -f $remote^/sip/failed/bad-ref-dotdot.event)
-		fail event ref with dotdot should move to failed queue
-	if(! test -f $remote^/sip/failed/bad-kind.event)
-		fail inconsistent event kind should move to failed queue
+	for(event in bad bad-version bad-ref bad-ref-traversal bad-ref-slash bad-ref-lock bad-ref-dotdot bad-kind) {
+		if(! test -f $remote^/sip/failed/$event^.event)
+			fail $event should move to failed queue
+	}
 }
 
 fn test_non_delete_events_require_commit_checkout {