diff --git a/distutils/tests/test_cygwinccompiler.py b/distutils/tests/test_cygwinccompiler.py
index 0a66193d..d95654f5 100644
--- a/distutils/tests/test_cygwinccompiler.py
+++ b/distutils/tests/test_cygwinccompiler.py
@@ -80,25 +80,25 @@ def test_get_msvcr(self):
 
         # MSVC 7.0
         sys.version = (
-            '2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 18 2007, 08:51:08) ' '[MSC v.1300 32 bits (Intel)]'
+            '2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 18 2007, 08:51:08) [MSC v.1300 32 bits (Intel)]'
         )
         assert get_msvcr() == ['msvcr70']
 
         # MSVC 7.1
         sys.version = (
-            '2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 18 2007, 08:51:08) ' '[MSC v.1310 32 bits (Intel)]'
+            '2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 18 2007, 08:51:08) [MSC v.1310 32 bits (Intel)]'
         )
         assert get_msvcr() == ['msvcr71']
 
         # VS2005 / MSVC 8.0
         sys.version = (
-            '2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 18 2007, 08:51:08) ' '[MSC v.1400 32 bits (Intel)]'
+            '2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 18 2007, 08:51:08) [MSC v.1400 32 bits (Intel)]'
         )
         assert get_msvcr() == ['msvcr80']
 
         # VS2008 / MSVC 9.0
         sys.version = (
-            '2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 18 2007, 08:51:08) ' '[MSC v.1500 32 bits (Intel)]'
+            '2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 18 2007, 08:51:08) [MSC v.1500 32 bits (Intel)]'
         )
         assert get_msvcr() == ['msvcr90']
 
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ def test_get_msvcr(self):
 
         # unknown
         sys.version = (
-            '2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 18 2007, 08:51:08) ' '[MSC v.2000 32 bits (Intel)]'
+            '2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 18 2007, 08:51:08) [MSC v.2000 32 bits (Intel)]'
         )
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
             get_msvcr()
diff --git a/distutils/tests/test_sysconfig.py b/distutils/tests/test_sysconfig.py
index c5589666..faa8e31c 100644
--- a/distutils/tests/test_sysconfig.py
+++ b/distutils/tests/test_sysconfig.py
@@ -132,12 +132,12 @@ def test_customize_compiler(self):
         assert comp.exes['preprocessor'] == 'env_cpp --env-cppflags'
         assert comp.exes['compiler'] == 'env_cc --sc-cflags --env-cflags --env-cppflags'
         assert comp.exes['compiler_so'] == (
-            'env_cc --sc-cflags ' '--env-cflags ' '--env-cppflags --sc-ccshared'
+            'env_cc --sc-cflags --env-cflags --env-cppflags --sc-ccshared'
         )
         assert comp.exes['compiler_cxx'] == 'env_cxx --env-cxx-flags'
         assert comp.exes['linker_exe'] == 'env_cc'
         assert comp.exes['linker_so'] == (
-            'env_ldshared --env-ldflags --env-cflags' ' --env-cppflags'
+            'env_ldshared --env-ldflags --env-cflags --env-cppflags'
         )
         assert comp.shared_lib_extension == 'sc_shutil_suffix'