diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/basic.sh b/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/basic.sh
index c9beee7e0..dd7029ff4 100755
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/basic.sh
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/basic.sh
@@ -697,25 +697,29 @@ actual=$(exptest foo)
 # When running a script without a #! hashbang path, ksh attempts to replace argv with the arguments
 # of the script. However, fixargs() didn't wipe out the rest of previous arguments after the last
 # \0. This caused an erroneous record in /proc/<PID>/cmdline and the output of the ps command.
-if	actual=$(UNIX95=1 ps -o args= -p "$$" 2>&1)	# UNIX95=1 makes this work on HP-UX
+getPsOutput() {
+	# UNIX95=1 makes this work on HP-UX.
+	actual=$(UNIX95=1 ps -o args= -p "$1" 2>&1)
+	# BSD 'ps' appends " (ksh)". Remove.
+	[[ $actual =~ \(.*\)$ ]] && actual=${actual%\(*}
 	# Some 'ps' implementations add leading and/or trailing whitespace. Remove.
 	while [[ $actual == [[:space:]]* ]]; do actual=${actual#?}; done
 	while [[ $actual == *[[:space:]] ]]; do actual=${actual%?}; done
-	[[ $actual == "$SHELL $0" ]]  # this is how shtests invokes this script
+}
+if	getPsOutput "$$"
+	[[ "$SHELL $0" == "$actual"* ]]  # "$SHELL $0" is how shtests invokes this script
 then	expect='./atest 1 2'
 	echo 'sleep 10; exit 0' >atest
 	chmod 755 atest
 	./atest 1 2 &
-	actual=$(UNIX95=1 ps -o args= -p "$!")
+	getPsOutput "$!"
 	kill "$!"
-	[[ $actual =~ \(.*\)$ ]] && actual=${actual%\(*}  # BSD 'ps' adds " (ksh)"
-	while [[ $actual == [[:space:]]* ]]; do actual=${actual#?}; done
-	while [[ $actual == *[[:space:]] ]]; do actual=${actual%?}; done
 	[[ $actual == "$expect" ]] || err_exit "ksh didn't rewrite argv correctly" \
 		"(expected $(printf %q "$expect"), got $(printf %q "$actual"))"
 else	err_exit "warning: skipping argv rewrite test due to noncompliant 'ps' utility (got $(printf %q "$actual"))"
 	let Errors--
 fi
+unset -f getPsOutput
 
 # ======
 # https://bugzilla.redhat.com/1241013