diff --git a/cli/src/merge_tools/builtin.rs b/cli/src/merge_tools/builtin.rs
index 930506385..6865bae65 100644
--- a/cli/src/merge_tools/builtin.rs
+++ b/cli/src/merge_tools/builtin.rs
@@ -543,13 +543,13 @@ pub fn edit_merge_builtin(
 mod tests {
     use jj_lib::conflicts::extract_as_single_hunk;
     use jj_lib::repo::Repo;
-    use testutils::{TestRepo, TestRepoBackend};
+    use testutils::TestRepo;
 
     use super::*;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_edit_diff_builtin() {
-        let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+        let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
         let store = test_repo.repo.store();
 
         let unused_path = RepoPath::from_internal_string("unused");
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_make_merge_sections() {
-        let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+        let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
         let store = test_repo.repo.store();
 
         let path = RepoPath::from_internal_string("file");
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_conflicts.rs b/lib/tests/test_conflicts.rs
index 07c10cb90..4cf2fc3d0 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_conflicts.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_conflicts.rs
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ use jj_lib::merge::Merge;
 use jj_lib::repo::Repo;
 use jj_lib::repo_path::RepoPath;
 use jj_lib::store::Store;
-use testutils::{TestRepo, TestRepoBackend};
+use testutils::TestRepo;
 
 #[test]
 fn test_materialize_conflict_basic() {
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let store = test_repo.repo.store();
 
     let path = RepoPath::from_internal_string("file");
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ line 5
 
 #[test]
 fn test_materialize_conflict_multi_rebase_conflicts() {
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let store = test_repo.repo.store();
 
     // Create changes (a, b, c) on top of the base, and linearize them.
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ line 3
 
 #[test]
 fn test_materialize_parse_roundtrip() {
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let store = test_repo.repo.store();
 
     let path = RepoPath::from_internal_string("file");
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ line 5 right
 
 #[test]
 fn test_materialize_conflict_modify_delete() {
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let store = test_repo.repo.store();
 
     let path = RepoPath::from_internal_string("file");
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ line 5
 
 #[test]
 fn test_update_conflict_from_content() {
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let store = test_repo.repo.store();
 
     let path = RepoPath::from_internal_string("dir/file");
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@ fn test_update_conflict_from_content() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_update_conflict_from_content_modify_delete() {
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let store = test_repo.repo.store();
 
     let path = RepoPath::from_internal_string("dir/file");
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_refs.rs b/lib/tests/test_refs.rs
index c9798f6f3..901535690 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_refs.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_refs.rs
@@ -16,12 +16,12 @@ use jj_lib::merge::Merge;
 use jj_lib::op_store::RefTarget;
 use jj_lib::refs::merge_ref_targets;
 use jj_lib::repo::Repo;
-use testutils::{CommitGraphBuilder, TestRepoBackend, TestWorkspace};
+use testutils::{CommitGraphBuilder, TestWorkspace};
 
 #[test]
 fn test_merge_ref_targets() {
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init_with_backend(&settings, TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init(&settings);
     let repo = &test_workspace.repo;
 
     // 6 7
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_rewrite.rs b/lib/tests/test_rewrite.rs
index 16d8a1bb7..8cc612cd7 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_rewrite.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_rewrite.rs
@@ -917,7 +917,7 @@ fn test_rebase_descendants_contents(backend: TestRepoBackend) {
 #[test]
 fn test_rebase_descendants_basic_branch_update() {
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     // Branch "main" points to commit B. B gets rewritten as B2. Branch main should
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ fn test_rebase_descendants_basic_branch_update() {
 #[test]
 fn test_rebase_descendants_branch_move_two_steps() {
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     // Branch "main" points to branch C. C gets rewritten as C2 and B gets rewritten
@@ -1004,7 +1004,7 @@ fn test_rebase_descendants_branch_move_two_steps() {
 #[test]
 fn test_rebase_descendants_basic_branch_update_with_non_local_branch() {
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     // Branch "main" points to commit B. B gets rewritten as B2. Branch main should
@@ -1062,7 +1062,7 @@ fn test_rebase_descendants_basic_branch_update_with_non_local_branch() {
 #[test]
 fn test_rebase_descendants_update_branch_after_abandon() {
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     // Branch "main" points to commit B. B is then abandoned. Branch main should
@@ -1096,7 +1096,7 @@ fn test_rebase_descendants_update_branch_after_abandon() {
 #[test]
 fn test_rebase_descendants_update_branches_after_divergent_rewrite() {
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     // Branch "main" points to commit B. B gets rewritten as B2, B3, B4. Branch main
@@ -1165,7 +1165,7 @@ fn test_rebase_descendants_update_branches_after_divergent_rewrite() {
 #[test]
 fn test_rebase_descendants_rewrite_updates_branch_conflict() {
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     // Branch "main" is a conflict removing commit A and adding commits B and C.
@@ -1242,7 +1242,7 @@ fn test_rebase_descendants_rewrite_updates_branch_conflict() {
 #[test]
 fn test_rebase_descendants_rewrite_resolves_branch_conflict() {
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     // Branch "main" is a conflict removing ancestor commit A and adding commit B
@@ -1288,7 +1288,7 @@ fn test_rebase_descendants_rewrite_resolves_branch_conflict() {
 #[test]
 fn test_rebase_descendants_branch_delete_modify_abandon() {
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     // Branch "main" initially points to commit A. One operation rewrites it to
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_view.rs b/lib/tests/test_view.rs
index 0272a8ac3..0d4e47d2c 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_view.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_view.rs
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ fn test_heads_merge(backend: TestRepoBackend) {
 fn test_merge_views_heads() {
     // Tests merging of the view's heads (by performing concurrent operations).
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     let mut tx = repo.start_transaction(&settings, "test");
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ fn test_merge_views_heads() {
 fn test_merge_views_checkout() {
     // Tests merging of the view's checkout (by performing concurrent operations).
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     // Workspace 1 gets updated in both transactions.
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ fn test_merge_views_branches() {
     // Tests merging of branches (by performing concurrent operations). See
     // test_refs.rs for tests of merging of individual ref targets.
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     let mut tx = repo.start_transaction(&settings, "test");
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ fn test_merge_views_tags() {
     // Tests merging of tags (by performing concurrent operations). See
     // test_refs.rs for tests of merging of individual ref targets.
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     let mut tx = repo.start_transaction(&settings, "test");
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ fn test_merge_views_git_refs() {
     // Tests merging of git refs (by performing concurrent operations). See
     // test_refs.rs for tests of merging of individual ref targets.
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     let mut tx = repo.start_transaction(&settings, "test");
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ fn test_merge_views_git_heads() {
     // Tests merging of git heads (by performing concurrent operations). See
     // test_refs.rs for tests of merging of individual ref targets.
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
     let repo = &test_repo.repo;
 
     let mut tx0 = repo.start_transaction(&settings, "test");
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ fn test_merge_views_divergent() {
     // We start with just commit A. Operation 1 rewrites it as A2. Operation 2
     // rewrites it as A3.
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
 
     let mut tx = test_repo.repo.start_transaction(&settings, "test");
     let commit_a = write_random_commit(tx.mut_repo(), &settings);
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ fn test_merge_views_child_on_rewritten(child_first: bool) {
     // We start with just commit A. Operation 1 adds commit B on top. Operation 2
     // rewrites A as A2.
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
 
     let mut tx = test_repo.repo.start_transaction(&settings, "test");
     let commit_a = write_random_commit(tx.mut_repo(), &settings);
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ fn test_merge_views_child_on_rewritten_divergent(on_rewritten: bool, child_first
     // gets rebased onto A4 if it was based on A2 before, but if it was based on
     // A3, it should remain there.
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
 
     let mut tx = test_repo.repo.start_transaction(&settings, "test");
     let commit_a2 = write_random_commit(tx.mut_repo(), &settings);
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ fn test_merge_views_child_on_abandoned(child_first: bool) {
     // We start with commit B on top of commit A. Operation 1 adds commit C on top.
     // Operation 2 abandons B.
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let test_repo = TestRepo::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let test_repo = TestRepo::init();
 
     let mut tx = test_repo.repo.start_transaction(&settings, "test");
     let commit_a = write_random_commit(tx.mut_repo(), &settings);
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_working_copy.rs b/lib/tests/test_working_copy.rs
index c7b595ee0..7532c87c5 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_working_copy.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_working_copy.rs
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ fn test_tree_builder_file_directory_transition(backend: TestRepoBackend) {
 #[test]
 fn test_reset() {
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let mut test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init_with_backend(&settings, TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let mut test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init(&settings);
     let repo = &test_workspace.repo;
     let op_id = repo.op_id().clone();
     let workspace_root = test_workspace.workspace.workspace_root().clone();
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ fn test_checkout_discard() {
     // copy files should remain changed, but the state files should not be
     // written.
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let mut test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init_with_backend(&settings, TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let mut test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init(&settings);
     let repo = test_workspace.repo.clone();
     let workspace_root = test_workspace.workspace.workspace_root().clone();
 
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ fn test_snapshot_special_file() {
     // Tests that we ignore when special files (such as sockets and pipes) exist on
     // disk.
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let mut test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init_with_backend(&settings, TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let mut test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init(&settings);
     let workspace_root = test_workspace.workspace.workspace_root().clone();
     let store = test_workspace.repo.store();
 
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_working_copy_sparse.rs b/lib/tests/test_working_copy_sparse.rs
index 0a0f8a83f..d3a803bb1 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_working_copy_sparse.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_working_copy_sparse.rs
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ use jj_lib::matchers::EverythingMatcher;
 use jj_lib::repo::Repo;
 use jj_lib::repo_path::RepoPath;
 use jj_lib::working_copy::{CheckoutStats, WorkingCopy};
-use testutils::{create_tree, TestRepoBackend, TestWorkspace};
+use testutils::{create_tree, TestWorkspace};
 
 #[test]
 fn test_sparse_checkout() {
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let mut test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init_with_backend(&settings, TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let mut test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init(&settings);
     let repo = &test_workspace.repo;
     let working_copy_path = test_workspace.workspace.workspace_root().clone();
 
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ fn test_sparse_checkout() {
 #[test]
 fn test_sparse_commit() {
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let mut test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init_with_backend(&settings, TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let mut test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init(&settings);
     let repo = &test_workspace.repo;
     let op_id = repo.op_id().clone();
     let working_copy_path = test_workspace.workspace.workspace_root().clone();
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ fn test_sparse_commit() {
 fn test_sparse_commit_gitignore() {
     // Test that (untracked) .gitignore files in parent directories are respected
     let settings = testutils::user_settings();
-    let mut test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init_with_backend(&settings, TestRepoBackend::Local);
+    let mut test_workspace = TestWorkspace::init(&settings);
     let repo = &test_workspace.repo;
     let working_copy_path = test_workspace.workspace.workspace_root().clone();
 
diff --git a/lib/testutils/src/lib.rs b/lib/testutils/src/lib.rs
index 1ad34bba6..aecaa0136 100644
--- a/lib/testutils/src/lib.rs
+++ b/lib/testutils/src/lib.rs
@@ -106,6 +106,10 @@ impl TestRepoBackend {
 }
 
 impl TestRepo {
+    pub fn init() -> Self {
+        Self::init_with_backend(TestRepoBackend::Test)
+    }
+
     pub fn init_with_backend(backend: TestRepoBackend) -> Self {
         let settings = user_settings();
         let temp_dir = new_temp_dir();
@@ -141,6 +145,10 @@ pub struct TestWorkspace {
 }
 
 impl TestWorkspace {
+    pub fn init(settings: &UserSettings) -> Self {
+        Self::init_with_backend(settings, TestRepoBackend::Test)
+    }
+
     pub fn init_with_backend(settings: &UserSettings, backend: TestRepoBackend) -> Self {
         let temp_dir = new_temp_dir();