diff --git a/cpp/tests/copying/copy_if_else_nested_tests.cpp b/cpp/tests/copying/copy_if_else_nested_tests.cpp
index 579e1bdce8a..cfbd181f944 100644
--- a/cpp/tests/copying/copy_if_else_nested_tests.cpp
+++ b/cpp/tests/copying/copy_if_else_nested_tests.cpp
@@ -386,22 +386,12 @@ TYPED_TEST(TypedCopyIfElseNestedTest, ScalarListBothInvalid)
   using bools = cudf::test::fixed_width_column_wrapper<bool, int32_t>;
   using lcw   = cudf::test::lists_column_wrapper<T, int32_t>;
 
-  auto lhs_scalar = cudf::list_scalar{ints{33, 33, 33}, false};
-  auto rhs_scalar = cudf::list_scalar{ints{22, 22}, false};
+  auto lhs_scalar = cudf::list_scalar{ints{}, false};
+  auto rhs_scalar = cudf::list_scalar{ints{}, false};
 
   auto selector_column = bools{1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1}.release();
 
-  auto expected = lcw{{
-                        {-33, -33, -33},
-                        {-33, -33, -33},
-                        {-22, -22},
-                        {-33, -33, -33},
-                        {-33, -33, -33},
-                        {-22, -22},
-                        {-33, -33, -33},
-                      },
-                      all_nulls()}
-                    .release();
+  auto expected = lcw{{lcw{}, lcw{}, lcw{}, lcw{}, lcw{}, lcw{}, lcw{}}, all_nulls()}.release();
 
   auto result = cudf::copy_if_else(lhs_scalar, rhs_scalar, selector_column->view());
 
diff --git a/cpp/tests/copying/purge_nonempty_nulls_tests.cpp b/cpp/tests/copying/purge_nonempty_nulls_tests.cpp
index b55875fa32d..8e652cb565a 100644
--- a/cpp/tests/copying/purge_nonempty_nulls_tests.cpp
+++ b/cpp/tests/copying/purge_nonempty_nulls_tests.cpp
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@ struct PurgeNonEmptyNullsTest : public cudf::test::BaseFixture {
   void test_purge(cudf::column_view const& unpurged)
   {
     auto const purged = cudf::purge_nonempty_nulls(unpurged);
-    CUDF_TEST_EXPECT_COLUMNS_EQUIVALENT(unpurged, *purged);
     EXPECT_FALSE(cudf::has_nonempty_nulls(*purged));
   }
 };