diff --git a/src/__tests__/test-components/GitPanel.spec.tsx b/src/__tests__/test-components/GitPanel.spec.tsx
index 05dbd1b3c..4d264a5fa 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/test-components/GitPanel.spec.tsx
+++ b/src/__tests__/test-components/GitPanel.spec.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import * as apputils from '@jupyterlab/apputils';
 import { nullTranslator } from '@jupyterlab/translation';
 import { JSONObject } from '@lumino/coreutils';
 import '@testing-library/jest-dom';
-import { render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { RenderResult, render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 import 'jest';
 import React from 'react';
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ const mockedResponses: {
  * @private
  * @returns mock settings
  */
-function MockSettings(commitAndPush = true, promptUserIdentity = false) {
+function MockSettings(
+  commitAndPush = true,
+  promptUserIdentity = false,
+  simpleStaging = false
+) {
   return {
     changed: {
       connect: () => true,
@@ -49,7 +53,8 @@ function MockSettings(commitAndPush = true, promptUserIdentity = false) {
     },
     composite: {
       commitAndPush,
-      promptUserIdentity
+      promptUserIdentity,
+      simpleStaging
     }
   };
 }
@@ -103,6 +108,7 @@ describe('GitPanel', () => {
   describe('#commitFiles()', () => {
     let commitSpy: jest.SpyInstance<Promise<void>>;
     let configSpy: jest.SpyInstance<Promise<void | JSONObject>>;
+    let renderResult: RenderResult;
 
     const commitSummary = 'Fix really stupid bug';
     const commitDescription = 'This will probably break everything :)';
@@ -151,8 +157,6 @@ describe('GitPanel', () => {
     beforeEach(() => {
       configSpy = props.model.config = jest.fn();
       commitSpy = props.model.commit = jest.fn();
-      // @ts-expect-error turn off set status
-      props.model._setStatus = jest.fn();
 
       // @ts-expect-error set a private prop
       props.model._status = {
@@ -173,10 +177,15 @@ describe('GitPanel', () => {
         state: 0
       };
 
-      render(<GitPanel {...props} />);
+      // @ts-expect-error turn off set status
+      props.model._setStatus = jest.fn(() => {
+        props.model['_statusChanged'].emit(props.model['_status']);
+      });
+
+      renderResult = render(<GitPanel {...props} />);
     });
 
-    it.skip('should commit when commit message is provided', async () => {
+    it('should commit when commit message is provided', async () => {
       configSpy.mockResolvedValue({ options: commitUser });
 
       await userEvent.type(screen.getAllByRole('textbox')[0], commitSummary);
@@ -212,16 +221,18 @@ describe('GitPanel', () => {
       expect(commitSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
-    it.skip('should prompt for user identity if explicitly configured', async () => {
+    it('should prompt for user identity if explicitly configured', async () => {
       configSpy.mockResolvedValue({ options: commitUser });
 
       props.settings = MockSettings(false, true) as any;
-      render(<GitPanel {...props} />);
+      renderResult.rerender(<GitPanel {...props} />);
 
       mockUtils.showDialog.mockResolvedValue(dialogValue);
 
       await userEvent.type(screen.getAllByRole('textbox')[0], commitSummary);
-      await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Commit' }));
+      await userEvent.click(
+        screen.getAllByRole('button', { name: 'Commit' })[0]
+      );
 
       expect(configSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       expect(configSpy.mock.calls[0]).toHaveLength(0);
@@ -231,7 +242,7 @@ describe('GitPanel', () => {
       expect(commitSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(commitSummary, false, author);
     });
 
-    it.skip('should prompt for user identity if user.name is not set', async () => {
+    it('should prompt for user identity if user.name is not set', async () => {
       configSpy.mockImplementation(mockConfigImplementation('user.email'));
       mockUtils.showDialog.mockResolvedValue(dialogValue);
 
@@ -247,7 +258,7 @@ describe('GitPanel', () => {
       expect(commitSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(commitSummary, false, null);
     });
 
-    it.skip('should prompt for user identity if user.email is not set', async () => {
+    it('should prompt for user identity if user.email is not set', async () => {
       configSpy.mockImplementation(mockConfigImplementation('user.name'));
       mockUtils.showDialog.mockResolvedValue(dialogValue);
 
@@ -263,7 +274,7 @@ describe('GitPanel', () => {
       expect(commitSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(commitSummary, false, null);
     });
 
-    it.skip('should not commit if no user identity is set and the user rejects the dialog', async () => {
+    it('should not commit if no user identity is set and the user rejects the dialog', async () => {
       configSpy.mockResolvedValue({ options: {} });
       mockUtils.showDialog.mockResolvedValue({
         button: {