diff --git a/tests/check-block-qdict.c b/tests/check-block-qdict.c
index 73d3e9f574..5a25825093 100644
--- a/tests/check-block-qdict.c
+++ b/tests/check-block-qdict.c
@@ -610,9 +610,7 @@ static void qdict_rename_keys_test(void)
     copy = qdict_clone_shallow(dict);
     qdict_rename_keys(copy, renames, &local_err);
 
-    g_assert(local_err != NULL);
-    error_free(local_err);
-    local_err = NULL;
+    error_free_or_abort(&local_err);
 
     g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(copy, "abc"), ==, "foo");
     g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(copy, "abcdef"), ==, "bar");
@@ -649,9 +647,7 @@ static void qdict_crumple_test_bad_inputs(void)
     qdict_put_str(src, "rule.0.policy", "allow");
 
     g_assert(qdict_crumple(src, &error) == NULL);
-    g_assert(error != NULL);
-    error_free(error);
-    error = NULL;
+    error_free_or_abort(&error);
     qobject_unref(src);
 
     src = qdict_new();
@@ -660,9 +656,7 @@ static void qdict_crumple_test_bad_inputs(void)
     qdict_put_str(src, "rule.a", "allow");
 
     g_assert(qdict_crumple(src, &error) == NULL);
-    g_assert(error != NULL);
-    error_free(error);
-    error = NULL;
+    error_free_or_abort(&error);
     qobject_unref(src);
 
     src = qdict_new();
@@ -673,9 +667,7 @@ static void qdict_crumple_test_bad_inputs(void)
     qdict_put_str(src, "rule.b", "allow");
 
     g_assert(qdict_crumple(src, &error) == NULL);
-    g_assert(error != NULL);
-    error_free(error);
-    error = NULL;
+    error_free_or_abort(&error);
     qobject_unref(src);
 
     src = qdict_new();
@@ -684,9 +676,7 @@ static void qdict_crumple_test_bad_inputs(void)
     qdict_put_str(src, "rule.3", "allow");
 
     g_assert(qdict_crumple(src, &error) == NULL);
-    g_assert(error != NULL);
-    error_free(error);
-    error = NULL;
+    error_free_or_abort(&error);
     qobject_unref(src);
 
     src = qdict_new();
@@ -695,9 +685,7 @@ static void qdict_crumple_test_bad_inputs(void)
     qdict_put_str(src, "rule.+1", "allow");
 
     g_assert(qdict_crumple(src, &error) == NULL);
-    g_assert(error != NULL);
-    error_free(error);
-    error = NULL;
+    error_free_or_abort(&error);
     qobject_unref(src);
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/check-qom-proplist.c b/tests/check-qom-proplist.c
index 8c71734e1a..e1e0a96661 100644
--- a/tests/check-qom-proplist.c
+++ b/tests/check-qom-proplist.c
@@ -491,17 +491,14 @@ static void test_dummy_getenum(void)
                                    "av",
                                    "BadAnimal",
                                    &err);
-    g_assert(err != NULL);
-    error_free(err);
-    err = NULL;
+    error_free_or_abort(&err);
 
     /* A non-enum property name */
     val = object_property_get_enum(OBJECT(dobj),
                                    "iv",
                                    "DummyAnimal",
                                    &err);
-    g_assert(err != NULL);
-    error_free(err);
+    error_free_or_abort(&err);
 
     object_unparent(OBJECT(dobj));
 }
diff --git a/tests/test-base64.c b/tests/test-base64.c
index ec122ceba5..a7f722c459 100644
--- a/tests/test-base64.c
+++ b/tests/test-base64.c
@@ -54,10 +54,9 @@ static void test_base64_bad(const char *input,
                                      &len,
                                      &err);
 
-    g_assert(err != NULL);
+    error_free_or_abort(&err);
     g_assert(actual == NULL);
     g_assert_cmpint(len, ==, 0);
-    error_free(err);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test-bdrv-graph-mod.c b/tests/test-bdrv-graph-mod.c
index f93f3168b0..8cff13830e 100644
--- a/tests/test-bdrv-graph-mod.c
+++ b/tests/test-bdrv-graph-mod.c
@@ -115,9 +115,7 @@ static void test_update_perm_tree(void)
                       BDRV_CHILD_FILTERED | BDRV_CHILD_PRIMARY, &error_abort);
 
     bdrv_append(filter, bs, &local_err);
-
-    g_assert_nonnull(local_err);
-    error_free(local_err);
+    error_free_or_abort(&local_err);
 
     blk_unref(root);
 }
diff --git a/tests/test-block-iothread.c b/tests/test-block-iothread.c
index a953794be2..3f866a35c6 100644
--- a/tests/test-block-iothread.c
+++ b/tests/test-block-iothread.c
@@ -650,8 +650,7 @@ static void test_propagate_mirror(void)
     blk_insert_bs(blk, src, &error_abort);
 
     bdrv_try_set_aio_context(target, ctx, &local_err);
-    g_assert(local_err);
-    error_free(local_err);
+    error_free_or_abort(&local_err);
 
     g_assert(blk_get_aio_context(blk) == main_ctx);
     g_assert(bdrv_get_aio_context(src) == main_ctx);
diff --git a/tests/test-crypto-cipher.c b/tests/test-crypto-cipher.c
index 07fa2fa616..bebba1a4f4 100644
--- a/tests/test-crypto-cipher.c
+++ b/tests/test-crypto-cipher.c
@@ -761,10 +761,7 @@ static void test_cipher_short_plaintext(void)
                                  sizeof(plaintext1),
                                  &err);
     g_assert(ret == -1);
-    g_assert(err != NULL);
-
-    error_free(err);
-    err = NULL;
+    error_free_or_abort(&err);
 
     /* Should report an error as plaintext is larger than
      * block size, but not a multiple of block size
@@ -775,9 +772,8 @@ static void test_cipher_short_plaintext(void)
                                  sizeof(plaintext2),
                                  &err);
     g_assert(ret == -1);
-    g_assert(err != NULL);
+    error_free_or_abort(&err);
 
-    error_free(err);
     qcrypto_cipher_free(cipher);
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/test-io-task.c b/tests/test-io-task.c
index c8a3813d49..85e7a98da5 100644
--- a/tests/test-io-task.c
+++ b/tests/test-io-task.c
@@ -240,9 +240,7 @@ static void test_task_thread_failure(void)
     object_unref(obj);
 
     g_assert(data.source == obj);
-    g_assert(data.err != NULL);
-
-    error_free(data.err);
+    error_free_or_abort(&data.err);
 
     self = g_thread_self();