diff --git a/src/borg/testsuite/archiver.py b/src/borg/testsuite/archiver.py
index 807841225..b9a003883 100644
--- a/src/borg/testsuite/archiver.py
+++ b/src/borg/testsuite/archiver.py
@@ -3384,11 +3384,8 @@ def test_old_version_interfered(self):
 
 class DiffArchiverTestCase(ArchiverTestCaseBase):
     def test_basic_functionality(self):
-        # Initialize test folder
-        self.create_test_files()
-        self.cmd('init', '--encryption=repokey', self.repository_location)
-
         # Setup files for the first snapshot
+        self.create_regular_file('empty', size=0)
         self.create_regular_file('file_unchanged', size=128)
         self.create_regular_file('file_removed', size=256)
         self.create_regular_file('file_removed2', size=512)
@@ -3409,6 +3406,8 @@ def test_basic_functionality(self):
             os.link('input/file_removed', 'input/hardlink_removed')
             os.link('input/file_removed2', 'input/hardlink_target_removed')
 
+        self.cmd('init', '--encryption=repokey', self.repository_location)
+
         # Create the first snapshot
         self.cmd('create', self.repository_location + '::test0', 'input')