diff --git a/test/cli/samples/watch/no-config-file/_config.js b/test/cli/samples/watch/no-config-file/_config.js
index af24c566137..ef3ff690730 100644
--- a/test/cli/samples/watch/no-config-file/_config.js
+++ b/test/cli/samples/watch/no-config-file/_config.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ module.exports = {
 	description: 'watches without a config file',
 	command: 'rollup main.js --watch --format es --file _actual/main.js',
 	abortOnStderr(data) {
-		if (data.includes(`created _actual${path.sep}main.js`)) {
+		if (data.includes(`created _actual/main.js`)) {
 			return true;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/test/cli/samples/watch/node-config-file/_config.js b/test/cli/samples/watch/node-config-file/_config.js
index 1181c599571..60176f3aad9 100644
--- a/test/cli/samples/watch/node-config-file/_config.js
+++ b/test/cli/samples/watch/node-config-file/_config.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ module.exports = {
 	description: 'watches using a node_modules config files',
 	command: 'rollup --watch --config node:custom',
 	abortOnStderr(data) {
-		if (data.includes(`created _actual${path.sep}main.js`)) {
+		if (data.includes(`created _actual/main.js`)) {
 			return true;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-early-update/_config.js b/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-early-update/_config.js
index 3af6f00847f..25e41959eb3 100644
--- a/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-early-update/_config.js
+++ b/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-early-update/_config.js
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ module.exports = {
 	},
 	after() {
 		unlinkSync(configFile);
+		stopUpdate();
 	},
 	abortOnStderr(data) {
 		if (data === 'initial\n') {
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ module.exports = {
 			);
 			return false;
 		}
-		if (data.includes(`created _actual${path.sep}output2.js`)) {
+		if (data.includes(`created _actual/output2.js`)) {
 			stopUpdate();
 			return true;
 		}
diff --git a/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-error/_config.js b/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-error/_config.js
index e0d0807f068..3ebb004420d 100644
--- a/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-error/_config.js
+++ b/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-error/_config.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ module.exports = {
 		setTimeout(() => unlinkSync(configFile), 300);
 	},
 	abortOnStderr(data) {
-		if (data.includes(`created _actual${path.sep}main1.js`)) {
+		if (data.includes(`created _actual/main1.js`)) {
 			setTimeout(
 				() => atomicWriteFileSync(configFile, 'throw new Error("Config contains errors");'),
 				600
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ module.exports = {
 			}, 600);
 			return false;
 		}
-		if (data.includes(`created _actual${path.sep}main2.js`)) {
+		if (data.includes(`created _actual/main2.js`)) {
 			return true;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-no-update/_config.js b/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-no-update/_config.js
index 3f8dea95e2c..d952ed72e21 100644
--- a/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-no-update/_config.js
+++ b/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-no-update/_config.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ module.exports = {
 		unlinkSync(configFile);
 	},
 	abortOnStderr(data) {
-		if (data.includes(`created _actual${path.sep}main.js`)) {
+		if (data.includes(`created _actual/main.js`)) {
 			atomicWriteFileSync(configFile, configContent);
 			// wait some time for the watcher to trigger
 			return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(() => resolve(true), 600));