diff --git a/tests/histfile.expect b/tests/histfile.expect
deleted file mode 100644
index cdd4901c8..000000000
--- a/tests/histfile.expect
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,125 +0,0 @@
-# vim: set filetype=expect:
-# We're going to use three history files, including the default, to verify
-# that the fish_history variable works as expected.
-set default_histfile "../test/data/fish/fish_history"
-set my_histfile "../test/data/fish/my_history"
-set env_histfile "../test/data/fish/env_history"
-
-# =============
-# Verify that if we spawn fish with no fish_history env var it uses the
-# default file.
-# =============
-set fish_pid [spawn $fish]
-expect_prompt
-
-# Verify that a command is recorded in the default history file.
-set cmd1 "echo $fish_pid default histfile"
-set hist_line "- cmd: $cmd1"
-send "$cmd1\r"
-expect_prompt
-
-# TODO: Figure out why this `history --save` is only needed in one of the
-# three Travis CI build environments and neither of my OS X or Ubuntu servers.
-send "history --save\r"
-expect_prompt
-
-send "grep '^$hist_line' $default_histfile\r"
-expect_prompt -re "\r\n$hist_line\r\n" {
-    puts "cmd1 found in default histfile"
-} unmatched {
-    puts stderr "cmd1 not found in default histfile"
-}
-
-# Switch to a new history file and verify it is written to and the default
-# history file is not written to.
-set cmd2 "echo $fish_pid my histfile"
-set hist_line "- cmd: $cmd2"
-send "set fish_history my\r"
-expect_prompt
-send "$cmd2\r"
-expect_prompt
-
-send "grep '^$hist_line' $my_histfile\r"
-expect_prompt -re "\r\n$hist_line\r\n" {
-    puts "cmd2 found in my histfile"
-} unmatched {
-    puts stderr "cmd2 not found in my histfile"
-}
-# We expect this grep to fail to find the pattern and thus the expect_prompt
-# block is inverted.
-send "grep '^$hist_line' $default_histfile\r"
-expect_prompt -re "\r\n$hist_line\r\n" {
-    puts stderr "cmd2 found in default histfile"
-} unmatched {
-    puts "cmd2 not found in default histfile"
-}
-
-# Switch back to the default history file.
-set cmd3 "echo $fish_pid default histfile again"
-set hist_line "- cmd: $cmd3"
-send "set fish_history default\r"
-expect_prompt
-send "$cmd3\r"
-expect_prompt
-
-# TODO: Figure out why this `history --save` is only needed in one of the
-# three Travis CI build environments and neither of my OS X or Ubuntu servers.
-send "history --save\r"
-expect_prompt
-
-send "grep '^$hist_line' $default_histfile\r"
-expect_prompt -re "\r\n$hist_line\r\n" {
-    puts "cmd3 found in default histfile"
-} unmatched {
-    puts stderr "cmd3 not found in default histfile"
-}
-# We expect this grep to fail to find the pattern and thus the expect_prompt
-# block is inverted.
-send "grep '^$hist_line' $my_histfile\r"
-expect_prompt -re "\r\n$hist_line\r\n" {
-    puts stderr "cmd3 found in my histfile"
-} unmatched {
-    puts "cmd3 not found in my histfile"
-}
-
-# =============
-# Verify that if we spawn fish with a HISTFILE env var it uses that file.
-# =============
-# Start by shutting down the previous shell.
-send "exit\r"
-expect eof
-wait
-
-# Set the fish_history env var.
-set ::env(fish_history) env
-
-# Spawn a new shell.
-set prompt_counter 1
-set fish_pid [spawn $fish]
-expect_prompt
-
-# Verify that the new fish shell is using the fish_history value for history.
-set cmd4 "echo $fish_pid env histfile"
-set hist_line "- cmd: $cmd4"
-send "$cmd4\r"
-expect_prompt
-
-# TODO: Figure out why this `history --save` is only needed in one of the
-# three Travis CI build environments and neither of my OS X or Ubuntu servers.
-# send "history --save\r"
-# expect_prompt
-
-send "grep '^$hist_line' $env_histfile\r"
-expect_prompt -re "\r\n$hist_line\r\n" {
-    puts "cmd4 found in env histfile"
-} unmatched {
-    puts stderr "cmd4 not found in env histfile"
-}
-# We expect this grep to fail to find the pattern and thus the expect_prompt
-# block is inverted.
-send "grep '^$hist_line' $default_histfile\r"
-expect_prompt -re "\r\n$hist_line\r\n" {
-    puts stderr "cmd4 found in default histfile"
-} unmatched {
-    puts "cmd4 not found in default histfile"
-}
diff --git a/tests/histfile.expect.err b/tests/histfile.expect.err
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb..000000000
diff --git a/tests/histfile.expect.out b/tests/histfile.expect.out
deleted file mode 100644
index 238b6698e..000000000
--- a/tests/histfile.expect.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-cmd1 found in default histfile
-cmd2 found in my histfile
-cmd2 not found in default histfile
-cmd3 found in default histfile
-cmd3 not found in my histfile
-cmd4 found in env histfile
-cmd4 not found in default histfile
diff --git a/tests/histfile.expect.status b/tests/histfile.expect.status
deleted file mode 100644
index 573541ac9..000000000
--- a/tests/histfile.expect.status
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0
diff --git a/tests/pexpects/histfile.py b/tests/pexpects/histfile.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..02a58dbb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pexpects/histfile.py
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+from pexpect_helper import SpawnedProc
+import os
+
+sp = SpawnedProc()
+send, sendline, sleep, expect_prompt, expect_re, expect_str = (
+    sp.send,
+    sp.sendline,
+    sp.sleep,
+    sp.expect_prompt,
+    sp.expect_re,
+    sp.expect_str,
+)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# We're going to use three history files, including the default, to verify
+# that the fish_history variable works as expected.
+default_histfile="../test/data/fish/fish_history"
+my_histfile="../test/data/fish/my_history"
+env_histfile="../test/data/fish/env_history"
+
+def grephistfile(line, file):
+    sendline("grep '^" + line + "' " + file)
+    
+# Verify that if we spawn fish with no fish_history env var it uses the
+# default file.
+expect_prompt
+
+# Verify that a command is recorded in the default history file.
+cmd1="echo $fish_pid default histfile"
+hist_line="- cmd: " + cmd1
+sendline(cmd1)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# TODO: Figure out why this `history --save` is only needed in one of the
+# three Travis CI build environments and neither of my OS X or Ubuntu servers.
+sendline("history --save")
+expect_prompt()
+
+grephistfile(hist_line, default_histfile)
+expect_str(hist_line)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# Switch to a new history file and verify it is written to and the default
+# history file is not written to.
+cmd2="echo $fish_pid my histfile"
+hist_line="- cmd: " + cmd2
+sendline("set fish_history my")
+expect_prompt()
+sendline(cmd2)
+expect_prompt()
+
+grephistfile(hist_line, my_histfile)
+expect_str(hist_line)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# We expect this grep to fail to find the pattern and thus the expect_prompt
+# block is inverted.
+grephistfile(hist_line, default_histfile)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# Switch back to the default history file.
+cmd3="echo $fish_pid default histfile again"
+hist_line="- cmd: " + cmd3
+sendline("set fish_history default")
+expect_prompt()
+sendline(cmd3)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# TODO: Figure out why this `history --save` is only needed in one of the
+# three Travis CI build environments and neither of my OS X or Ubuntu servers.
+sendline("history --save")
+expect_prompt()
+
+grephistfile(hist_line, default_histfile)
+expect_str(hist_line)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# We expect this grep to fail to find the pattern and thus the expect_prompt
+# block is inverted.
+sendline("grep '^" + hist_line + "' " + my_histfile)
+grephistfile(hist_line, my_histfile)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# Verify that if we spawn fish with a HISTFILE env var it uses that file.
+# Start by shutting down the previous shell.
+sendline("exit")
+sp.spawn.wait()
+
+# Set the fish_history env var.
+os.environ["fish_history"] = 'env'
+
+# Spawn a new shell.
+sp = SpawnedProc()
+send, sendline, sleep, expect_prompt, expect_re, expect_str = (
+    sp.send,
+    sp.sendline,
+    sp.sleep,
+    sp.expect_prompt,
+    sp.expect_re,
+    sp.expect_str,
+)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# Verify that the new fish shell is using the fish_history value for history.
+cmd4="echo $fish_pid env histfile"
+hist_line="- cmd: " + cmd4
+sendline(cmd4)
+expect_prompt()
+
+grephistfile(hist_line, env_histfile)
+expect_str(hist_line)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# We expect this grep to fail to find the pattern and thus the expect_prompt
+# block is inverted.
+grephistfile(hist_line, default_histfile)
+expect_prompt()
+