diff --git a/test/functional/terminal/buffer_spec.lua b/test/functional/terminal/buffer_spec.lua
index 9b690bed74..888d123b17 100644
--- a/test/functional/terminal/buffer_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/terminal/buffer_spec.lua
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ describe(':terminal buffer', function()
 
   before_each(function()
     clear()
-    feed_command('set modifiable swapfile undolevels=20')
-    poke_eventloop()
+    command('set modifiable swapfile undolevels=20')
     screen = thelpers.screen_setup()
   end)
 
@@ -199,7 +198,6 @@ describe(':terminal buffer', function()
   it('handles loss of focus gracefully', function()
     -- Change the statusline to avoid printing the file name, which varies.
     nvim('set_option_value', 'statusline', '==========', {})
-    feed_command('set laststatus=0')
 
     -- Save the buffer number of the terminal for later testing.
     local tbuf = eval('bufnr("%")')
@@ -232,8 +230,6 @@ describe(':terminal buffer', function()
     neq(tbuf, eval('bufnr("%")'))
     feed_command('quit!')  -- Should exit the new window, not the terminal.
     eq(tbuf, eval('bufnr("%")'))
-
-    feed_command('set laststatus=1')  -- Restore laststatus to the default.
   end)
 
   it('term_close() use-after-free #4393', function()
@@ -433,7 +429,7 @@ describe('terminal input', function()
         _G.input_data = _G.input_data .. data
       end })
     ]])
-    command('startinsert')
+    feed('i')
     poke_eventloop()
   end)
 
diff --git a/test/functional/terminal/cursor_spec.lua b/test/functional/terminal/cursor_spec.lua
index 47bc02373c..8285bcc26e 100644
--- a/test/functional/terminal/cursor_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/terminal/cursor_spec.lua
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ local testprg, command = helpers.testprg, helpers.command
 local nvim_prog = helpers.nvim_prog
 local eq, eval = helpers.eq, helpers.eval
 local matches = helpers.matches
-local feed_command = helpers.feed_command
+local poke_eventloop = helpers.poke_eventloop
 local hide_cursor = thelpers.hide_cursor
 local show_cursor = thelpers.show_cursor
 local is_os = helpers.is_os
@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ describe('cursor with customized highlighting', function()
     })
     screen:attach({rgb=false})
     command('call termopen(["'..testprg('tty-test')..'"])')
-    feed_command('startinsert')
+    feed('i')
+    poke_eventloop()
   end)
 
   it('overrides the default highlighting', function()
diff --git a/test/functional/terminal/ex_terminal_spec.lua b/test/functional/terminal/ex_terminal_spec.lua
index 28751a3504..5204b61f57 100644
--- a/test/functional/terminal/ex_terminal_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/terminal/ex_terminal_spec.lua
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ describe(':terminal', function()
   end)
 
   it('nvim_get_mode() in :terminal', function()
-    command(':terminal')
+    command('terminal')
     eq({ blocking=false, mode='nt' }, nvim('get_mode'))
     feed('i')
     eq({ blocking=false, mode='t' }, nvim('get_mode'))
@@ -108,17 +108,19 @@ describe(':terminal', function()
   end)
 
   it(':stopinsert RPC request exits terminal-mode #7807', function()
-    command(':terminal')
+    command('terminal')
     feed('i[tui] insert-mode')
     eq({ blocking=false, mode='t' }, nvim('get_mode'))
     command('stopinsert')
+    feed('<Ignore>')  -- Add input to separate two RPC requests
     eq({ blocking=false, mode='nt' }, nvim('get_mode'))
   end)
 
   it(':stopinsert in normal mode doesn\'t break insert mode #9889', function()
-    command(':terminal')
+    command('terminal')
     eq({ blocking=false, mode='nt' }, nvim('get_mode'))
-    command(':stopinsert')
+    command('stopinsert')
+    feed('<Ignore>')  -- Add input to separate two RPC requests
     eq({ blocking=false, mode='nt' }, nvim('get_mode'))
     feed('a')
     eq({ blocking=false, mode='t' }, nvim('get_mode'))
diff --git a/test/functional/terminal/helpers.lua b/test/functional/terminal/helpers.lua
index 7247361649..62d3dd67a3 100644
--- a/test/functional/terminal/helpers.lua
+++ b/test/functional/terminal/helpers.lua
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ local helpers = require('test.functional.helpers')(nil)
 local Screen = require('test.functional.ui.screen')
 local testprg = helpers.testprg
 local exec_lua = helpers.exec_lua
-local feed_command, nvim = helpers.feed_command, helpers.nvim
+local nvim = helpers.nvim
 
 local function feed_data(data)
   if type(data) == 'table' then
@@ -82,15 +82,16 @@ local function screen_setup(extra_rows, command, cols, opts)
 
   screen:attach(opts or {rgb=false})
 
-  feed_command('enew | call termopen('..command..')')
+  nvim('command', 'enew | call termopen('..command..')')
   nvim('input', '<CR>')
   local vim_errmsg = nvim('eval', 'v:errmsg')
   if vim_errmsg and "" ~= vim_errmsg then
     error(vim_errmsg)
   end
 
-  feed_command('setlocal scrollback=10')
-  feed_command('startinsert')
+  nvim('command', 'setlocal scrollback=10')
+  nvim('command', 'startinsert')
+  nvim('input', '<Ignore>')  -- Add input to separate two RPC requests
 
   -- tty-test puts the terminal into raw mode and echoes input. Tests work by
   -- feeding termcodes to control the display and asserting by screen:expect.
diff --git a/test/functional/terminal/scrollback_spec.lua b/test/functional/terminal/scrollback_spec.lua
index 5d3e55d898..d20f5177b8 100644
--- a/test/functional/terminal/scrollback_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/terminal/scrollback_spec.lua
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ local Screen = require('test.functional.ui.screen')
 local helpers = require('test.functional.helpers')(after_each)
 local thelpers = require('test.functional.terminal.helpers')
 local clear, eq, curbuf = helpers.clear, helpers.eq, helpers.curbuf
-local feed, testprg, feed_command = helpers.feed, helpers.testprg, helpers.feed_command
+local feed, testprg = helpers.feed, helpers.testprg
 local eval = helpers.eval
 local command = helpers.command
 local matches = helpers.matches
@@ -349,8 +349,7 @@ describe(':terminal prints more lines than the screen height and exits', functio
     clear()
     local screen = Screen.new(30, 7)
     screen:attach({rgb=false})
-    feed_command(("call termopen(['%s', '10']) | startinsert"):format(testprg('tty-test')))
-    poke_eventloop()
+    command(("call termopen(['%s', '10']) | startinsert"):format(testprg('tty-test')))
     screen:expect([[
       line6                         |
       line7                         |
diff --git a/test/functional/terminal/tui_spec.lua b/test/functional/terminal/tui_spec.lua
index f48d0e073c..7bf9e84bfb 100644
--- a/test/functional/terminal/tui_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/terminal/tui_spec.lua
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ local helpers = require('test.functional.helpers')(after_each)
 local thelpers = require('test.functional.terminal.helpers')
 local Screen = require('test.functional.ui.screen')
 local eq = helpers.eq
-local feed_command = helpers.feed_command
 local feed_data = thelpers.feed_data
 local clear = helpers.clear
 local command = helpers.command
@@ -110,14 +109,14 @@ describe('TUI', function()
   end)
 
   it('accepts resize while pager is active', function()
-    child_session:request("nvim_exec", [[
-    set more
-    func! ManyErr()
-      for i in range(20)
-        echoerr "FAIL ".i
-      endfor
-    endfunc
-    ]], false)
+    child_session:request('nvim_exec2', [[
+      set more
+      func! ManyErr()
+        for i in range(20)
+          echoerr "FAIL ".i
+        endfor
+      endfunc
+    ]], {})
     feed_data(':call ManyErr()\r')
     screen:expect{grid=[[
       {8:Error detected while processing function ManyErr:} |
@@ -241,7 +240,7 @@ describe('TUI', function()
   it('interprets leading <Esc> byte as ALT modifier in normal-mode', function()
     local keys = 'dfghjkl'
     for c in keys:gmatch('.') do
-      feed_command('nnoremap <a-'..c..'> ialt-'..c..'<cr><esc>')
+      feed_data(':nnoremap <a-'..c..'> ialt-'..c..'<cr><esc>\r')
       feed_data('\027'..c)
     end
     screen:expect([[
@@ -281,9 +280,11 @@ describe('TUI', function()
   end)
 
   it('interprets <Esc>[27u as <Esc>', function()
-    feed_command('nnoremap <M-;> <Nop>')
-    feed_command('nnoremap <Esc> AESC<Esc>')
-    feed_command('nnoremap ; Asemicolon<Esc>')
+    child_session:request('nvim_exec2', [[
+      nnoremap <M-;> <Nop>
+      nnoremap <Esc> AESC<Esc>
+      nnoremap ; Asemicolon<Esc>
+    ]], {})
     feed_data('\027[27u;')
     screen:expect([[
       ESCsemicolo{1:n}                                      |
@@ -331,11 +332,11 @@ describe('TUI', function()
   end)
 
   it('accepts mouse wheel events #19992', function()
-    child_session:request('nvim_exec', [[
+    child_session:request('nvim_exec2', [[
       set number nostartofline nowrap mousescroll=hor:1,ver:1
       call setline(1, repeat([join(range(10), '----')], 10))
       vsplit
-    ]], false)
+    ]], {})
     screen:expect([[
       {11:  1 }{1:0}----1----2----3----4│{11:  1 }0----1----2----3----|
       {11:  2 }0----1----2----3----4│{11:  2 }0----1----2----3----|
@@ -661,11 +662,11 @@ describe('TUI', function()
                                                         |
       {3:-- TERMINAL --}                                    |
     ]])
-    child_session:request('nvim_exec', [[
+    child_session:request('nvim_exec2', [[
       tab split
       tabnew
       highlight Tabline ctermbg=NONE ctermfg=NONE cterm=underline
-    ]], false)
+    ]], {})
     screen:expect([[
       {12: + [No Name]  + [No Name] }{3: [No Name] }{1:            }{12:X}|
       {1: }                                                 |
@@ -720,7 +721,7 @@ describe('TUI', function()
   end)
 
   it('mouse events work with right-click menu', function()
-    child_session:request('nvim_exec', [[
+    child_session:request('nvim_exec2', [[
       call setline(1, 'popup menu test')
       set mouse=a mousemodel=popup
 
@@ -730,7 +731,7 @@ describe('TUI', function()
       menu PopUp.baz :let g:menustr = 'baz'<CR>
       highlight Pmenu ctermbg=NONE ctermfg=NONE cterm=underline,reverse
       highlight PmenuSel ctermbg=NONE ctermfg=NONE cterm=underline,reverse,bold
-    ]], false)
+    ]], {})
     meths.input_mouse('right', 'press', '', 0, 0, 4)
     screen:expect([[
       {1:p}opup menu test                                   |
@@ -1584,11 +1585,11 @@ describe('TUI', function()
   it('no stack-use-after-scope with cursor color #22432', function()
     screen:set_option('rgb', true)
     command('set termguicolors')
-    child_session:request('nvim_exec', [[
+    child_session:request('nvim_exec2', [[
       set tgc
       hi Cursor guifg=Red guibg=Green
       set guicursor=n:block-Cursor/lCursor
-    ]], false)
+    ]], {})
     screen:set_default_attr_ids({
       [1] = {reverse = true},
       [2] = {bold = true, foreground = Screen.colors.Blue},
@@ -1808,10 +1809,10 @@ describe('TUI FocusGained/FocusLost', function()
       {3:-- TERMINAL --}                                    |
     ]])
     child_session = helpers.connect(child_server)
-    child_session:request('nvim_exec', [[
+    child_session:request('nvim_exec2', [[
       autocmd FocusGained * echo 'gained'
       autocmd FocusLost * echo 'lost'
-    ]], false)
+    ]], {})
     feed_data("\034\016")  -- CTRL-\ CTRL-N
   end)
 
@@ -1842,7 +1843,7 @@ describe('TUI FocusGained/FocusLost', function()
   end)
 
   it('in insert-mode', function()
-    feed_command('set noshowmode')
+    feed_data(':set noshowmode\r')
     feed_data('i')
     screen:expect{grid=[[
       {1: }                                                 |
@@ -1907,11 +1908,11 @@ describe('TUI FocusGained/FocusLost', function()
     -- Set up autocmds that modify the buffer, instead of just calling :echo.
     -- This is how we can test handling of focus gained/lost during cmdline-mode.
     -- See commit: 5cc87d4dabd02167117be7a978b5c8faaa975419.
-    child_session:request('nvim_exec', [[
+    child_session:request('nvim_exec2', [[
       autocmd!
       autocmd FocusLost * call append(line('$'), 'lost')
       autocmd FocusGained * call append(line('$'), 'gained')
-    ]], false)
+    ]], {})
     retry(2, 3 * screen.timeout, function()
       -- Enter cmdline-mode.
       feed_data(':')