diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/branch/create.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/branch/create.spec.ts
index 05869658ab515dc55c8cc7259e43e41b368b4a66..2fe405269ad9ece764e7e26ef5acce7ce37389d6 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/branch/create.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/onboarding/branch/create.spec.ts
@@ -11,21 +11,6 @@ jest.mock('./config', () => ({
     }),
 }));
 
-const buildExpectedCommitFilesArgument = (
-  message: string,
-  filename = 'renovate.json'
-) => ({
-  branchName: 'renovate/configure',
-  files: [
-    {
-      type: 'addition',
-      path: filename,
-      contents: '{"foo":"bar"}',
-    },
-  ],
-  message,
-});
-
 describe('workers/repository/onboarding/branch/create', () => {
   let config: RenovateConfig;
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -35,115 +20,209 @@ describe('workers/repository/onboarding/branch/create', () => {
   describe('createOnboardingBranch', () => {
     it('applies the default commit message', async () => {
       await createOnboardingBranch(config);
-      expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        buildExpectedCommitFilesArgument('Add renovate.json')
-      );
+
+      expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        branchName: 'renovate/configure',
+        files: [
+          {
+            type: 'addition',
+            path: 'renovate.json',
+            contents: '{"foo":"bar"}',
+          },
+        ],
+        message: 'Add renovate.json',
+      });
     });
     it('applies supplied commit message', async () => {
       const message =
         'We can Renovate if we want to, we can leave PRs in decline';
+
       config.onboardingCommitMessage = message;
+
       await createOnboardingBranch(config);
-      expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        buildExpectedCommitFilesArgument(`${message}`)
-      );
+
+      expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        branchName: 'renovate/configure',
+        files: [
+          {
+            type: 'addition',
+            path: 'renovate.json',
+            contents: '{"foo":"bar"}',
+          },
+        ],
+        message,
+      });
     });
     describe('applies the commitMessagePrefix value', () => {
       it('to the default commit message', async () => {
         const prefix = 'RENOV-123';
+        const message = `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} add renovate.json`;
+
         config.commitMessagePrefix = prefix;
+
         await createOnboardingBranch(config);
-        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          buildExpectedCommitFilesArgument(
-            `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} add renovate.json`
-          )
-        );
+
+        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+          branchName: 'renovate/configure',
+          files: [
+            {
+              type: 'addition',
+              path: 'renovate.json',
+              contents: '{"foo":"bar"}',
+            },
+          ],
+          message,
+        });
       });
       it('to the supplied commit message', async () => {
         const prefix = 'RENOV-123';
-        const message =
+        const text =
           "Cause your deps need an update and if they dont update, well they're no deps of mine";
+        const message = `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} ${text}`;
+
         config.commitMessagePrefix = prefix;
-        config.onboardingCommitMessage = message;
+        config.onboardingCommitMessage = text;
+
         await createOnboardingBranch(config);
-        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          buildExpectedCommitFilesArgument(
-            `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} ${message}`
-          )
-        );
+
+        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+          branchName: 'renovate/configure',
+          files: [
+            {
+              type: 'addition',
+              path: 'renovate.json',
+              contents: '{"foo":"bar"}',
+            },
+          ],
+          message,
+        });
       });
     });
     describe('applies semanticCommit prefix', () => {
       it('to the default commit message', async () => {
         const prefix = 'chore(deps)';
+        const message = `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} add renovate.json`;
+
         config.semanticCommits = 'enabled';
+
         await createOnboardingBranch(config);
-        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          buildExpectedCommitFilesArgument(
-            `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} add renovate.json`
-          )
-        );
+
+        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+          branchName: 'renovate/configure',
+          files: [
+            {
+              type: 'addition',
+              path: 'renovate.json',
+              contents: '{"foo":"bar"}',
+            },
+          ],
+          message,
+        });
       });
       it('to the supplied commit message', async () => {
         const prefix = 'chore(deps)';
-        const message =
+        const text =
           'I say, we can update when we want to, a commit they will never mind';
+        const message = `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} ${text}`;
+
         config.semanticCommits = 'enabled';
-        config.onboardingCommitMessage = message;
+        config.onboardingCommitMessage = text;
+
         await createOnboardingBranch(config);
-        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          buildExpectedCommitFilesArgument(
-            `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} ${message}`
-          )
-        );
+
+        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+          branchName: 'renovate/configure',
+          files: [
+            {
+              type: 'addition',
+              path: 'renovate.json',
+              contents: '{"foo":"bar"}',
+            },
+          ],
+          message,
+        });
       });
     });
     describe('setting the onboarding configuration file name', () => {
       it('falls back to the default option if not present', async () => {
         const prefix = 'chore(deps)';
+        const message = `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} add renovate.json`;
+
         config.semanticCommits = 'enabled';
         config.onboardingConfigFileName = undefined;
+
         await createOnboardingBranch(config);
-        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          buildExpectedCommitFilesArgument(
-            `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} add renovate.json`
-          )
-        );
+
+        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+          branchName: 'renovate/configure',
+          files: [
+            {
+              type: 'addition',
+              path: 'renovate.json',
+              contents: '{"foo":"bar"}',
+            },
+          ],
+          message,
+        });
       });
       it('falls back to the default option if in list of allowed names', async () => {
         const prefix = 'chore(deps)';
+        const message = `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} add renovate.json`;
+
         config.semanticCommits = 'enabled';
         config.onboardingConfigFileName = 'superConfigFile.yaml';
+
         await createOnboardingBranch(config);
-        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          buildExpectedCommitFilesArgument(
-            `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} add renovate.json`
-          )
-        );
+
+        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+          branchName: 'renovate/configure',
+          files: [
+            {
+              type: 'addition',
+              path: 'renovate.json',
+              contents: '{"foo":"bar"}',
+            },
+          ],
+          message,
+        });
       });
       it('uses the given name if valid', async () => {
         const prefix = 'chore(deps)';
+        const path = '.gitlab/renovate.json';
+        const message = `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} add ${path}`;
+
         config.semanticCommits = 'enabled';
-        config.onboardingConfigFileName = '.gitlab/renovate.json';
+        config.onboardingConfigFileName = path;
+
         await createOnboardingBranch(config);
-        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          buildExpectedCommitFilesArgument(
-            `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} add ${config.onboardingConfigFileName}`,
-            config.onboardingConfigFileName
-          )
-        );
+
+        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+          branchName: 'renovate/configure',
+          files: [
+            {
+              type: 'addition',
+              path,
+              contents: '{"foo":"bar"}',
+            },
+          ],
+          message,
+        });
       });
       it('applies to the default commit message', async () => {
         const prefix = 'chore(deps)';
+        const path = `.renovaterc`;
+        const message = `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} add ${path}`;
+
         config.semanticCommits = 'enabled';
-        config.onboardingConfigFileName = `.renovaterc`;
+        config.onboardingConfigFileName = path;
+
         await createOnboardingBranch(config);
-        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          buildExpectedCommitFilesArgument(
-            `${prefix}${CommitMessage.SEPARATOR} add ${config.onboardingConfigFileName}`,
-            config.onboardingConfigFileName
-          )
-        );
+
+        expect(commitFiles).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+          branchName: 'renovate/configure',
+          files: [{ type: 'addition', path, contents: '{"foo":"bar"}' }],
+          message,
+        });
       });
     });
   });