diff --git a/java/ql/lib/utils/test/BasicBlock.qll b/java/ql/lib/utils/test/BasicBlock.qll
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c1f31f79182
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/ql/lib/utils/test/BasicBlock.qll
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/**
+ * Provides utilities for working with basic blocks in tests.
+ */
+overlay[local?]
+module;
+
+import java
+import codeql.util.Boolean
+
+private predicate entryOrExit(ControlFlowNode n) {
+  n instanceof ControlFlow::EntryNode or
+  n instanceof ControlFlow::AnnotatedExitNode or
+  n instanceof ControlFlow::ExitNode
+}
+
+/** Gets the first AST node in the basic block `bb`, if any. */
+ControlFlowNode getFirstAstNode(BasicBlock bb) { result = getFirstAstNode(bb, false) }
+
+/**
+ * Gets the first AST node in the basic block `bb`, if any. Otherwise, gets
+ * the first synthetic node.
+ */
+ControlFlowNode getFirstAstNodeOrSynth(BasicBlock bb) { result = getFirstAstNode(bb, true) }
+
+private ControlFlowNode getFirstAstNode(BasicBlock bb, Boolean allowSynthetic) {
+  result =
+    min(ControlFlowNode n, int i, int astOrder |
+      bb.getNode(i) = n and
+      if n.injects(_)
+      then astOrder = 0
+      else
+        if entryOrExit(n)
+        then astOrder = 1
+        else (
+          allowSynthetic = true and astOrder = 2
+        )
+    |
+      n order by astOrder, i
+    )
+}
diff --git a/java/ql/test-kotlin1/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbStrictDominance.ql b/java/ql/test-kotlin1/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbStrictDominance.ql
index de1e23b649c..72de0cc435d 100644
--- a/java/ql/test-kotlin1/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbStrictDominance.ql
+++ b/java/ql/test-kotlin1/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbStrictDominance.ql
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import java
 import semmle.code.java.controlflow.Dominance
+import utils.test.BasicBlock
 
 from BasicBlock b, BasicBlock b2
 where b.strictlyDominates(b2)
-select b, b2
+select getFirstAstNode(b), getFirstAstNode(b2)
diff --git a/java/ql/test-kotlin1/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbSuccessor.ql b/java/ql/test-kotlin1/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbSuccessor.ql
index ae2d8a393b4..ae8dc5d188d 100644
--- a/java/ql/test-kotlin1/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbSuccessor.ql
+++ b/java/ql/test-kotlin1/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbSuccessor.ql
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import java
+import utils.test.BasicBlock
 
 from BasicBlock b, BasicBlock b2
 where b.getASuccessor() = b2
-select b, b2
+select getFirstAstNodeOrSynth(b), getFirstAstNodeOrSynth(b2)
diff --git a/java/ql/test-kotlin2/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbStrictDominance.ql b/java/ql/test-kotlin2/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbStrictDominance.ql
index de1e23b649c..72de0cc435d 100644
--- a/java/ql/test-kotlin2/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbStrictDominance.ql
+++ b/java/ql/test-kotlin2/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbStrictDominance.ql
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import java
 import semmle.code.java.controlflow.Dominance
+import utils.test.BasicBlock
 
 from BasicBlock b, BasicBlock b2
 where b.strictlyDominates(b2)
-select b, b2
+select getFirstAstNode(b), getFirstAstNode(b2)
diff --git a/java/ql/test-kotlin2/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbSuccessor.ql b/java/ql/test-kotlin2/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbSuccessor.ql
index ae2d8a393b4..ae8dc5d188d 100644
--- a/java/ql/test-kotlin2/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbSuccessor.ql
+++ b/java/ql/test-kotlin2/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbSuccessor.ql
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import java
+import utils.test.BasicBlock
 
 from BasicBlock b, BasicBlock b2
 where b.getASuccessor() = b2
-select b, b2
+select getFirstAstNodeOrSynth(b), getFirstAstNodeOrSynth(b2)
diff --git a/java/ql/test/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbStrictDominance.ql b/java/ql/test/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbStrictDominance.ql
index de1e23b649c..72de0cc435d 100644
--- a/java/ql/test/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbStrictDominance.ql
+++ b/java/ql/test/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbStrictDominance.ql
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import java
 import semmle.code.java.controlflow.Dominance
+import utils.test.BasicBlock
 
 from BasicBlock b, BasicBlock b2
 where b.strictlyDominates(b2)
-select b, b2
+select getFirstAstNode(b), getFirstAstNode(b2)
diff --git a/java/ql/test/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbSuccessor.ql b/java/ql/test/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbSuccessor.ql
index ae2d8a393b4..ae8dc5d188d 100644
--- a/java/ql/test/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbSuccessor.ql
+++ b/java/ql/test/library-tests/controlflow/basic/bbSuccessor.ql
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import java
+import utils.test.BasicBlock
 
 from BasicBlock b, BasicBlock b2
 where b.getASuccessor() = b2
-select b, b2
+select getFirstAstNodeOrSynth(b), getFirstAstNodeOrSynth(b2)
diff --git a/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/guards.ql b/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/guards.ql
index e2d80a4e738..21a23534ed6 100644
--- a/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/guards.ql
+++ b/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/guards.ql
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import java
 import semmle.code.java.controlflow.Guards
+import utils.test.BasicBlock
 
 from ConditionBlock cb, boolean testIsTrue, BasicBlock controlled
 where
   cb.controls(controlled, testIsTrue) and
   cb.getEnclosingCallable().getDeclaringType().hasName("Test")
-select cb.getCondition(), testIsTrue, controlled
+select cb.getCondition(), testIsTrue, getFirstAstNode(controlled)
diff --git a/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/guardslogic.ql b/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/guardslogic.ql
index f2ce9fdaa36..e68be505ff7 100644
--- a/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/guardslogic.ql
+++ b/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/guardslogic.ql
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import java
 import semmle.code.java.controlflow.Guards
+import utils.test.BasicBlock
 
 from Guard g, BasicBlock bb, GuardValue gv
 where
   g.valueControls(bb, gv) and
   g.getEnclosingCallable().getDeclaringType().hasName("Logic") and
   (exists(gv.asBooleanValue()) or gv.isThrowsException() or gv.getDualValue().isThrowsException())
-select g, gv, bb
+select g, gv, getFirstAstNode(bb)
diff --git a/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/guardspreconditions.ql b/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/guardspreconditions.ql
index 77e4a4e48c0..849ee6087bf 100644
--- a/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/guardspreconditions.ql
+++ b/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/guardspreconditions.ql
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import java
 import semmle.code.java.controlflow.Guards
+import utils.test.BasicBlock
 
 from Guard g, BasicBlock bb, GuardValue gv
 where
   g.valueControls(bb, gv) and
   g.getEnclosingCallable().getDeclaringType().hasName("Preconditions") and
   (gv.isThrowsException() or gv.getDualValue().isThrowsException())
-select g, gv, bb
+select g, gv, getFirstAstNode(bb)