diff --git a/test/sharness/t0180-pubsub-gossipsub.sh b/test/sharness/t0180-pubsub-gossipsub.sh
index 8c0686efd1e1..c89c8d1ae921 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0180-pubsub-gossipsub.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0180-pubsub-gossipsub.sh
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ test_expect_success 'peer ids' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'pubsub' '
-  echo -n "testOK" | ipfs multibase encode -b base64url > expected &&
+  echo -n -e "test\nOK" | ipfs multibase encode -b base64url > expected &&
   touch empty &&
   mkfifo wait ||
   test_fsh echo init fail
@@ -53,8 +53,9 @@ test_expect_success "output looks good" '
   test_cmp peers_exp peers_out
 '
 
-test_expect_success "publish something" '
-  ipfsi 1 pubsub pub testTopic "testOK" &> pubErr
+test_expect_success "publish something from a file" '
+  echo -n -e "test\nOK" > payload-file &&
+  ipfsi 1 pubsub pub testTopic payload-file &> pubErr
 '
 
 test_expect_success "wait until echo > wait executed" '
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ test_expect_success "wait until echo > wait executed" '
 '
 
 test_expect_success "wait for another pubsub message" '
-  echo -n "testOK2" | ipfs multibase encode -b base64url > expected &&
+  echo -n -e "test\nOK2" | ipfs multibase encode -b base64url > expected &&
   mkfifo wait2 ||
   test_fsh echo init fail
 
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ test_expect_success "wait until ipfs pubsub sub is ready to do work" '
 '
 
 test_expect_success "publish something" '
-  echo -n "testOK2" | ipfsi 1 pubsub pub testTopic &> pubErr
+  echo -n -e "test\nOK2" | ipfsi 1 pubsub pub testTopic &> pubErr
 '
 
 test_expect_success "wait until echo > wait executed" '
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0180-pubsub.sh b/test/sharness/t0180-pubsub.sh
index 08e05ec9c869..04b120c3e210 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0180-pubsub.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0180-pubsub.sh
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ run_pubsub_tests() {
   
   # ipfs pubsub sub
   test_expect_success 'pubsub' '
-    echo -n "testOK" | ipfs multibase encode -b base64url > expected &&
+    echo -n -e "test\nOK" | ipfs multibase encode -b base64url > expected &&
     touch empty &&
     mkfifo wait ||
     test_fsh echo init fail
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ run_pubsub_tests() {
   '
   
   test_expect_success "publish something from file" '
-    echo -n "testOK" > payload-file &&
+    echo -n -e "test\nOK" > payload-file &&
     ipfsi 1 pubsub pub testTopic payload-file &> pubErr
   '
   
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ run_pubsub_tests() {
   '
   
   test_expect_success "wait for another pubsub message" '
-    echo -n "testOK2" | ipfs multibase encode -b base64url > expected &&
+    echo -n -e "test\nOK\r\n2" | ipfs multibase encode -b base64url > expected &&
     mkfifo wait2 ||
     test_fsh echo init fail
   
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ run_pubsub_tests() {
   '
   
   test_expect_success "publish something from stdin" '
-    echo -n "testOK2" | ipfsi 3 pubsub pub testTopic &> pubErr
+    echo -n -e "test\nOK\r\n2" | ipfsi 3 pubsub pub testTopic &> pubErr
   '
   
   test_expect_success "wait until echo > wait executed" '