diff --git a/java/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeImportUtils.java b/java/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeImportUtils.java
index 0fd33c4e5..4078fd97a 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeImportUtils.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeImportUtils.java
@@ -158,10 +158,12 @@ public class RdeImportUtils {
           TldState currentState = registry.getTldState(clock.nowUtc());
           checkArgument(
               currentState == TldState.PREDELEGATION,
-              String.format("Tld '%s' is in state %s and cannot be imported", tld, currentState));
+              "TLD '%s' is in state %s and cannot be imported",
+              tld,
+              currentState);
         } catch (RegistryNotFoundException e) {
           throw new IllegalArgumentException(
-              String.format("Tld '%s' not found in the registry", tld));
+              String.format("TLD '%s' not found in the registry", tld));
         }
         // validate that all registrars exist
         while (parser.nextRegistrar()) {
diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeImportUtilsTest.java b/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeImportUtilsTest.java
index c59fcfa63..fa6345e27 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeImportUtilsTest.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeImportUtilsTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.createTld;
 import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.persistActiveContact;
 import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.persistNewRegistrar;
 import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.persistResource;
+import static google.registry.testing.JUnitBackports.expectThrows;
 import static org.joda.time.DateTimeZone.UTC;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.any;
@@ -59,7 +60,6 @@ import org.junit.After;
 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;
 
@@ -80,9 +80,6 @@ public class RdeImportUtilsTest extends ShardableTestCase {
   @Rule
   public final AppEngineRule appEngine = AppEngineRule.builder().withDatastore().build();
 
-  @Rule
-  public final ExpectedException thrown = ExpectedException.none();
-
   private final GcsUtils gcsUtils = mock(GcsUtils.class);
 
   private RdeImportUtils rdeImportUtils;
@@ -286,9 +283,11 @@ public class RdeImportUtilsTest extends ShardableTestCase {
   public void testValidateEscrowFile_tldNotFound() throws Exception {
     xmlInput = DEPOSIT_BADTLD_XML.openBufferedStream();
     when(gcsUtils.openInputStream(any(GcsFilename.class))).thenReturn(xmlInput);
-    thrown.expect(IllegalArgumentException.class);
-    thrown.expectMessage("Tld 'badtld' not found in the registry");
-    rdeImportUtils.validateEscrowFileForImport("invalid-deposit-badtld.xml");
+    Exception e =
+        expectThrows(
+            IllegalArgumentException.class,
+            () -> rdeImportUtils.validateEscrowFileForImport("invalid-deposit-badtld.xml"));
+    assertThat(e).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo("TLD 'badtld' not found in the registry");
   }
 
   /** Verifies thrown errer when tld in escrow file is not in PREDELEGATION state */
@@ -296,9 +295,13 @@ public class RdeImportUtilsTest extends ShardableTestCase {
   public void testValidateEscrowFile_tldWrongState() throws Exception {
     xmlInput = DEPOSIT_GETLD_XML.openBufferedStream();
     when(gcsUtils.openInputStream(any(GcsFilename.class))).thenReturn(xmlInput);
-    thrown.expect(IllegalArgumentException.class);
-    thrown.expectMessage("Tld 'getld' is in state GENERAL_AVAILABILITY and cannot be imported");
-    rdeImportUtils.validateEscrowFileForImport("invalid-deposit-getld.xml");
+    Exception e =
+        expectThrows(
+            IllegalArgumentException.class,
+            () -> rdeImportUtils.validateEscrowFileForImport("invalid-deposit-getld.xml"));
+    assertThat(e)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .isEqualTo("TLD 'getld' is in state GENERAL_AVAILABILITY and cannot be imported");
   }
 
   /** Verifies thrown error when registrar in escrow file is not in the registry */
@@ -306,9 +309,11 @@ public class RdeImportUtilsTest extends ShardableTestCase {
   public void testValidateEscrowFile_badRegistrar() throws Exception {
     xmlInput = DEPOSIT_BADREGISTRAR_XML.openBufferedStream();
     when(gcsUtils.openInputStream(any(GcsFilename.class))).thenReturn(xmlInput);
-    thrown.expect(IllegalArgumentException.class);
-    thrown.expectMessage("Registrar 'RegistrarY' not found in the registry");
-    rdeImportUtils.validateEscrowFileForImport("invalid-deposit-badregistrar.xml");
+    Exception e =
+        expectThrows(
+            IllegalArgumentException.class,
+            () -> rdeImportUtils.validateEscrowFileForImport("invalid-deposit-badregistrar.xml"));
+    assertThat(e).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo("Registrar 'RegistrarY' not found in the registry");
   }
 
   /** Gets the contact with the specified ROID */