diff --git a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/ConfigLoaderIT.java b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/ConfigLoaderIT.java
index 4920df3..ea2784d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/ConfigLoaderIT.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/ConfigLoaderIT.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 package com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.automerger;
 
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
+import static com.google.gerrit.testing.GerritJUnit.assertThrows;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Charsets;
 import com.google.common.io.CharStreams;
@@ -185,9 +186,13 @@
   public void downstreamBranchesTest_configException() throws Exception {
     defaultSetup("wrong.config");
 
-    exception.expect(ConfigInvalidException.class);
-    exception.expectMessage("Automerger config branch pair malformed: master..ds_one");
-    configLoader.getDownstreamBranches("master", "platform/some/project");
+    ConfigInvalidException thrown =
+        assertThrows(
+            ConfigInvalidException.class,
+            () -> configLoader.getDownstreamBranches("master", "platform/some/project"));
+    assertThat(thrown)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .contains("Automerger config branch pair malformed: master..ds_one");
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/DownstreamCreatorIT.java b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/DownstreamCreatorIT.java
index d04b4ec..70008c3 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/DownstreamCreatorIT.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/DownstreamCreatorIT.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import static com.google.gerrit.extensions.client.ListChangesOption.CURRENT_REVISION;
 import static com.google.gerrit.extensions.client.ListChangesOption.DETAILED_LABELS;
 import static com.google.gerrit.extensions.client.ListChangesOption.MESSAGES;
+import static com.google.gerrit.testing.GerritJUnit.assertThrows;
 import static java.util.Comparator.comparing;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Charsets;
@@ -846,9 +847,8 @@
     assertCodeReview(dsOneChangeInfo.id, 2, "autogenerated:Automerger");
 
     // Try to +2 downstream and see it fail
-    exception.expect(AuthException.class);
-    exception.expectMessage("Applying label \"Code-Review\": 2 is restricted");
-    approve(dsOneChangeInfo.id);
+    AuthException thrown = assertThrows(AuthException.class, () -> approve(dsOneChangeInfo.id));
+    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("Applying label \"Code-Review\": 2 is restricted");
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/MergeValidatorIT.java b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/MergeValidatorIT.java
index c1e0f63..2969d30 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/MergeValidatorIT.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/MergeValidatorIT.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 package com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.automerger;
 
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
+import static com.google.gerrit.testing.GerritJUnit.assertThrows;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Charsets;
 import com.google.common.io.CharStreams;
@@ -100,12 +101,14 @@
     gApi.changes().id(sortedChanges.get(0)._number).abandon();
 
     int changeNumber = result.getChange().getId().get();
-    exception.expect(ResourceConflictException.class);
-    exception.expectMessage(
-        "Failed to submit 1 change due to the following problems:\nChange "
-            + changeNumber
-            + ": Missing downstream branches ds_one. Please recreate the automerges.");
-    merge(result);
+    ResourceConflictException thrown =
+        assertThrows(ResourceConflictException.class, () -> merge(result));
+    assertThat(thrown)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .contains(
+            "Failed to submit 1 change due to the following problems:\nChange "
+                + changeNumber
+                + ": Missing downstream branches ds_one. Please recreate the automerges.");
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -164,12 +167,14 @@
     result.assertOkStatus();
     int changeNumber = result.getChange().getId().get();
     // Assert we are missing downstreams
-    exception.expect(ResourceConflictException.class);
-    exception.expectMessage(
-        "Failed to submit 1 change due to the following problems:\nChange "
-            + changeNumber
-            + ": Missing downstream branches ds_one. Please recreate the automerges.");
-    merge(result);
+    ResourceConflictException thrown =
+        assertThrows(ResourceConflictException.class, () -> merge(result));
+    assertThat(thrown)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .contains(
+            "Failed to submit 1 change due to the following problems:\nChange "
+                + changeNumber
+                + ": Missing downstream branches ds_one. Please recreate the automerges.");
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -181,12 +186,14 @@
     result.assertOkStatus();
     int changeNumber = result.getChange().getId().get();
     // Assert we are missing downstreams
-    exception.expect(ResourceConflictException.class);
-    exception.expectMessage(
-        "Failed to submit 1 change due to the following problems:\nChange "
-            + changeNumber
-            + ": there is no ds_one");
-    merge(result);
+    ResourceConflictException thrown =
+        assertThrows(ResourceConflictException.class, () -> merge(result));
+    assertThat(thrown)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .contains(
+            "Failed to submit 1 change due to the following problems:\nChange "
+                + changeNumber
+                + ": there is no ds_one");
   }
 
   private List<ChangeInfo> sortedChanges(List<ChangeInfo> changes) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/QueryBuilderTest.java b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/QueryBuilderTest.java
index fd46cb8..f16c986 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/QueryBuilderTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/automerger/QueryBuilderTest.java
@@ -15,17 +15,15 @@
 package com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.automerger;
 
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
+import static com.google.gerrit.testing.GerritJUnit.assertThrows;
 
 import org.junit.Before;
-import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
-import org.junit.rules.ExpectedException;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.junit.runners.JUnit4;
 
 @RunWith(JUnit4.class)
 public class QueryBuilderTest {
-  @Rule public ExpectedException exception = ExpectedException.none();
   private QueryBuilder queryBuilder;
 
   @Before
@@ -42,9 +40,12 @@
   @Test
   public void nullTest() throws Exception {
     queryBuilder.addParameter("status", "open");
-    exception.expect(InvalidQueryParameterException.class);
-    exception.expectMessage("Cannot use null value for key or value of query.");
-    queryBuilder.addParameter("topic", null);
+    InvalidQueryParameterException thrown =
+        assertThrows(
+            InvalidQueryParameterException.class, () -> queryBuilder.addParameter("topic", null));
+    assertThat(thrown)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .contains("Cannot use null value for key or value of query.");
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -75,8 +76,12 @@
 
   @Test
   public void errorOnQuotesAndBracesTest() throws Exception {
-    exception.expect(InvalidQueryParameterException.class);
-    exception.expectMessage("Gerrit does not support both quotes and braces in a query.");
-    queryBuilder.addParameter("topic", "topic{\"with\"}both");
+    InvalidQueryParameterException thrown =
+        assertThrows(
+            InvalidQueryParameterException.class,
+            () -> queryBuilder.addParameter("topic", "topic{\"with\"}both"));
+    assertThat(thrown)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .contains("Gerrit does not support both quotes and braces in a query.");
   }
 }