diff --git a/tests/flakyfunctional/events/44-timeout.t b/tests/flakyfunctional/events/44-timeout.t
index ff2f70b570a..b971f1102d0 100755
--- a/tests/flakyfunctional/events/44-timeout.t
+++ b/tests/flakyfunctional/events/44-timeout.t
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 set_test_number 4
 
-create_test_global_config "
+create_test_global_config "" "
 [scheduler]
     process pool timeout = PT10S
 "
diff --git a/tests/flakyfunctional/job-submission/18-check-chunking.t b/tests/flakyfunctional/job-submission/18-check-chunking.t
index 26a14e75570..bfe1ab89ac8 100644
--- a/tests/flakyfunctional/job-submission/18-check-chunking.t
+++ b/tests/flakyfunctional/job-submission/18-check-chunking.t
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@
 . "$(dirname "$0")/test_header"
 set_test_number 3
 
-create_test_global_config '
+create_test_global_config '' '
 [scheduler]
     process pool size = 1
-' ''
+'
 
 init_suite "${TEST_NAME_BASE}" <<'__FLOW_CONFIG__'
 [scheduler]
@@ -40,12 +40,12 @@ init_suite "${TEST_NAME_BASE}" <<'__FLOW_CONFIG__'
     [[t1<p>]]
         # Reduce the load on many jobs sending the "started" message
         init-script = """
-sleep $((RANDOM % 10))
-"""
+            sleep $((RANDOM % 10))
+        """
         script = """
-wait
-sleep $((RANDOM % 5))
-"""
+            wait
+            sleep $((RANDOM % 5))
+        """
 __FLOW_CONFIG__
 
 
diff --git a/tests/flakyfunctional/job-submission/19-chatty.t b/tests/flakyfunctional/job-submission/19-chatty.t
index 77876f7cdc6..948113b8346 100755
--- a/tests/flakyfunctional/job-submission/19-chatty.t
+++ b/tests/flakyfunctional/job-submission/19-chatty.t
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export REQUIRE_PLATFORM='batch:at'
 . "$(dirname "$0")/test_header"
 set_test_number 15
 
-create_test_global_config "
+create_test_global_config "" "
 [scheduler]
     process pool timeout = PT10S
 [platforms]
diff --git a/tests/functional/events/47-long-output.t b/tests/functional/events/47-long-output.t
index 4ea348a539f..5d499005565 100755
--- a/tests/functional/events/47-long-output.t
+++ b/tests/functional/events/47-long-output.t
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ fi
 
 set_test_number 10
 
-create_test_global_config "
+create_test_global_config "" "
 [scheduler]
     process pool timeout = PT10S
-" ""
+"
 
 # Long STDOUT output
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/job-submission/16-timeout.t b/tests/functional/job-submission/16-timeout.t
index c2af223fa0a..73e9c2743a8 100755
--- a/tests/functional/job-submission/16-timeout.t
+++ b/tests/functional/job-submission/16-timeout.t
@@ -20,10 +20,9 @@ export REQUIRE_PLATFORM='batch:at comms:tcp'
 . "$(dirname "$0")/test_header"
 set_test_number 4
 
-create_test_global_config "
+create_test_global_config "" "
 [scheduler]
     process pool timeout = PT10S
-" "
 [platforms]
     [[$CYLC_TEST_PLATFORM]]
         batch submit command template = sleep 30
diff --git a/tests/functional/lib/bash/test_header b/tests/functional/lib/bash/test_header
index 527ad835cce..ebb4c606d1b 100644
--- a/tests/functional/lib/bash/test_header
+++ b/tests/functional/lib/bash/test_header
@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@
 #         Expect 2 OK tests.
 #     create_test_global_config [PRE [POST]]
 #         Create a new global config file $PWD/etc from global-tests.cylc
-#         with PRE and POST pre- and ap-pended (PRE for top level items with no
-#         section heading). PRE and POST are strings.
+#         with PRE and POST pre- and ap-pended (PRE for e.g. jinja2 shebang).
+#         PRE and POST are strings.
 #     localhost_fqdn
 #         Get the FQDN of the current host using the same mechanism Cylc uses.
 #     get_fqdn [TARGET]
diff --git a/tests/functional/logging/03-roll.t b/tests/functional/logging/03-roll.t
index c843371da55..f67eeb31504 100755
--- a/tests/functional/logging/03-roll.t
+++ b/tests/functional/logging/03-roll.t
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ create_test_global_config '' '
 [scheduler]
     [[logging]]
         rolling archive length = 8
-        maximum size in bytes = 2048'
+        maximum size in bytes = 2048
+'
 run_ok "${TEST_NAME_BASE}-validate" \
     cylc validate "${SUITE_NAME}"
 suite_run_ok "${TEST_NAME_BASE}-run" \