diff --git a/tests/test-bundle-type.t b/tests/test-bundle-type.t
--- a/tests/test-bundle-type.t
+++ b/tests/test-bundle-type.t
@@ -1,9 +1,3 @@
-
-  $ cat << EOF >> $HGRCPATH
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
-  > EOF
-
 bundle w/o type option
 
   $ hg init t1
diff --git a/tests/test-bundle.t b/tests/test-bundle.t
--- a/tests/test-bundle.t
+++ b/tests/test-bundle.t
@@ -1,9 +1,3 @@
-
-  $ cat << EOF >> $HGRCPATH
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
-  > EOF
-
 Setting up test
 
   $ hg init test
diff --git a/tests/test-clonebundles.t b/tests/test-clonebundles.t
--- a/tests/test-clonebundles.t
+++ b/tests/test-clonebundles.t
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 Set up a server
 
-  $ cat >> $HGRCPATH << EOF
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
-  > EOF
   $ hg init server
   $ cd server
   $ cat >> .hg/hgrc << EOF
diff --git a/tests/test-commit-amend.t b/tests/test-commit-amend.t
--- a/tests/test-commit-amend.t
+++ b/tests/test-commit-amend.t
@@ -1,8 +1,3 @@
-  $ cat << EOF >> $HGRCPATH
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
-  > EOF
-
   $ hg init
 
 Setup:
diff --git a/tests/test-copy.t b/tests/test-copy.t
--- a/tests/test-copy.t
+++ b/tests/test-copy.t
@@ -1,10 +1,3 @@
-# enable bundle2 in advance
-
-  $ cat << EOF >> $HGRCPATH
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
-  > EOF
-
   $ mkdir part1
   $ cd part1
 
diff --git a/tests/test-debugcommands.t b/tests/test-debugcommands.t
--- a/tests/test-debugcommands.t
+++ b/tests/test-debugcommands.t
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
   $ cat << EOF >> $HGRCPATH
   > [ui]
   > interactive=yes
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
   > EOF
 
   $ hg init debugrevlog
diff --git a/tests/test-hgweb-commands.t b/tests/test-hgweb-commands.t
--- a/tests/test-hgweb-commands.t
+++ b/tests/test-hgweb-commands.t
@@ -6,11 +6,6 @@
 - unbundle, tested in test-push-http
 - changegroupsubset, tested in test-pull
 
-  $ cat << EOF >> $HGRCPATH
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
-  > EOF
-
 Set up the repo
 
   $ hg init test
diff --git a/tests/test-init.t b/tests/test-init.t
--- a/tests/test-init.t
+++ b/tests/test-init.t
@@ -1,12 +1,5 @@
 This test tries to exercise the ssh functionality with a dummy script
 
-(enable general delta early)
-
-  $ cat << EOF >> $HGRCPATH
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
-  > EOF
-
   $ checknewrepo()
   > {
   >    name=$1
diff --git a/tests/test-lfconvert.t b/tests/test-lfconvert.t
--- a/tests/test-lfconvert.t
+++ b/tests/test-lfconvert.t
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
   $ USERCACHE="$TESTTMP/cache"; export USERCACHE
   $ mkdir "${USERCACHE}"
   $ cat >> $HGRCPATH <<EOF
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
   > [extensions]
   > largefiles =
   > share =
diff --git a/tests/test-patchbomb.t b/tests/test-patchbomb.t
--- a/tests/test-patchbomb.t
+++ b/tests/test-patchbomb.t
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@
   >     print(l, end='')
   > EOF
   $ FILTERBOUNDARY="$PYTHON `pwd`/prune-blank-after-boundary.py"
-  $ echo "[format]" >> $HGRCPATH
-  $ echo "usegeneraldelta=yes" >> $HGRCPATH
   $ echo "[extensions]" >> $HGRCPATH
   $ echo "patchbomb=" >> $HGRCPATH
 
diff --git a/tests/test-rebase-conflicts.t b/tests/test-rebase-conflicts.t
--- a/tests/test-rebase-conflicts.t
+++ b/tests/test-rebase-conflicts.t
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
   $ cat >> $HGRCPATH <<EOF
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
   > [extensions]
   > rebase=
   > drawdag=$TESTDIR/drawdag.py
diff --git a/tests/test-rebase-mq-skip.t b/tests/test-rebase-mq-skip.t
--- a/tests/test-rebase-mq-skip.t
+++ b/tests/test-rebase-mq-skip.t
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 already has one local mq patch
 
   $ cat >> $HGRCPATH <<EOF
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
   > [extensions]
   > rebase=
   > mq=
diff --git a/tests/test-rebase-newancestor.t b/tests/test-rebase-newancestor.t
--- a/tests/test-rebase-newancestor.t
+++ b/tests/test-rebase-newancestor.t
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
   $ cat >> $HGRCPATH <<EOF
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
   > [extensions]
   > rebase=
   > drawdag=$TESTDIR/drawdag.py
diff --git a/tests/test-ssh-bundle1.t b/tests/test-ssh-bundle1.t
--- a/tests/test-ssh-bundle1.t
+++ b/tests/test-ssh-bundle1.t
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@
   > [devel]
   > # This test is dedicated to interaction through old bundle
   > legacy.exchange = bundle1
-  > [format] # temporary settings
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
   > EOF
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test-ssh.t b/tests/test-ssh.t
--- a/tests/test-ssh.t
+++ b/tests/test-ssh.t
@@ -10,11 +10,6 @@
 
 This test tries to exercise the ssh functionality with a dummy script
 
-  $ cat <<EOF >> $HGRCPATH
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
-  > EOF
-
 creating 'remote' repo
 
   $ hg init remote
diff --git a/tests/test-strip.t b/tests/test-strip.t
--- a/tests/test-strip.t
+++ b/tests/test-strip.t
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-  $ echo "[format]" >> $HGRCPATH
-  $ echo "usegeneraldelta=yes" >> $HGRCPATH
   $ echo "[extensions]" >> $HGRCPATH
   $ echo "strip=" >> $HGRCPATH
   $ echo "drawdag=$TESTDIR/drawdag.py" >> $HGRCPATH
diff --git a/tests/test-treemanifest.t b/tests/test-treemanifest.t
--- a/tests/test-treemanifest.t
+++ b/tests/test-treemanifest.t
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 #require killdaemons
 
   $ cat << EOF >> $HGRCPATH
-  > [format]
-  > usegeneraldelta=yes
   > [ui]
   > ssh=$PYTHON "$TESTDIR/dummyssh"
   > EOF