diff --git a/tests/misc/sort-continue b/tests/misc/sort-continue
index 42db01eb1..2ea06b725 100755
--- a/tests/misc/sort-continue
+++ b/tests/misc/sort-continue
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 print_ver_ sort
 
 # Skip the test when running under valgrind.
-( ulimit -n 6; sort < /dev/null ) \
+( ulimit -n 6; sort 3<&- 4<&- 5<&- < /dev/null ) \
   || skip_ 'fd-limited sort failed; are you running under valgrind?'
 
 for i in $(seq 31); do
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ done
 
 (
  ulimit -n 6
- exec 0</dev/null 3<&- 4<&- 5<&-
- sort -n -m __test.* > out
+ sort -n -m __test.* 3<&- 4<&- 5<&- < /dev/null > out
 ) &&
 compare in out ||
   { fail=1; echo 'file descriptor exhaustion not handled' 1>&2; }
@@ -39,8 +38,7 @@ compare in out ||
 echo 32 | tee -a in > in1
 (
  ulimit -n 6
- exec 3<&- 4<&- 5<&-
- sort -n -m __test.* - < in1 > out
+ sort -n -m __test.* - 3<&- 4<&- 5<&- < in1 > out
 ) &&
 compare in out || { fail=1; echo 'stdin not handled properly' 1>&2; }