diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/export/ExportReservedTermsActionTest.java b/javatests/google/registry/export/ExportReservedTermsActionTest.java
index 169bd25a0..d124cf971 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/export/ExportReservedTermsActionTest.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/export/ExportReservedTermsActionTest.java
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 package google.registry.export;
 
-import static com.google.common.base.Throwables.getRootCause;
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertWithMessage;
 import static google.registry.export.ExportReservedTermsAction.EXPORT_MIME_TYPE;
@@ -130,7 +129,7 @@ public class ExportReservedTermsActionTest {
       assertWithMessage("Expected RuntimeException to be thrown").fail();
     } catch (RuntimeException e) {
       verify(response).setStatus(SC_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
-      assertThat(getRootCause(e)).hasMessage("errorMessage");
+      assertThat(e).hasCauseThat().hasMessageThat().isEqualTo("errorMessage");
     }
   }
 
@@ -141,7 +140,10 @@ public class ExportReservedTermsActionTest {
       assertWithMessage("Expected RuntimeException to be thrown").fail();
     } catch (RuntimeException e) {
       verify(response).setStatus(SC_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
-      assertThat(getRootCause(e)).hasMessage("No registry object found for fakeTld");
+      assertThat(e)
+          .hasCauseThat()
+          .hasMessageThat()
+          .isEqualTo("No registry object found for fakeTld");
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/model/ofy/OfyFilterTest.java b/javatests/google/registry/model/ofy/OfyFilterTest.java
index 865e046c0..7d7a4fd58 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/model/ofy/OfyFilterTest.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/model/ofy/OfyFilterTest.java
@@ -81,9 +81,11 @@ public class OfyFilterTest {
       Key.create(entity);
       fail("Should not be able to create key for unregistered entity");
     } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
-      assertThat(e).hasMessage(
-          "class google.registry.model.ofy.OfyFilterTest$UnregisteredEntity "
-              + "has not been registered");
+      assertThat(e)
+          .hasMessageThat()
+          .isEqualTo(
+              "class google.registry.model.ofy.OfyFilterTest$UnregisteredEntity "
+                  + "has not been registered");
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/testing/EppExceptionSubject.java b/javatests/google/registry/testing/EppExceptionSubject.java
index c32e71a1d..319836491 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/testing/EppExceptionSubject.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/testing/EppExceptionSubject.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public class EppExceptionSubject extends Subject<EppExceptionSubject, EppExcepti
   }
 
   public And<EppExceptionSubject> hasMessage(String expected) {
-    assertThat(actual()).hasMessage(expected);
+    assertThat(actual()).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo(expected);
     return new And<>(this);
   }
 
diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/tools/CreateReservedListCommandTest.java b/javatests/google/registry/tools/CreateReservedListCommandTest.java
index 18bfd6590..d46507a2e 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/tools/CreateReservedListCommandTest.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/tools/CreateReservedListCommandTest.java
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ public class CreateReservedListCommandTest extends
       assertWithMessage("Expected IllegalArgumentException to be thrown").fail();
     } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
       assertThat(ReservedList.get(name)).isAbsent();
-      assertThat(e).hasMessage(expectedErrorMsg);
+      assertThat(e).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo(expectedErrorMsg);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/tools/DeleteReservedListCommandTest.java b/javatests/google/registry/tools/DeleteReservedListCommandTest.java
index 467b78e6a..54740175c 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/tools/DeleteReservedListCommandTest.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/tools/DeleteReservedListCommandTest.java
@@ -59,8 +59,9 @@ public class DeleteReservedListCommandTest extends CommandTestCase<DeleteReserve
       assertWithMessage("Expected IllegalArgumentException to be thrown").fail();
     } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
       assertThat(ReservedList.get(reservedList.getName())).isPresent();
-      assertThat(e).hasMessage(
-          "Cannot delete reserved list because it is used on these tld(s): xn--q9jyb4c");
+      assertThat(e)
+          .hasMessageThat()
+          .isEqualTo("Cannot delete reserved list because it is used on these tld(s): xn--q9jyb4c");
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/tools/LoadTestCommandTest.java b/javatests/google/registry/tools/LoadTestCommandTest.java
index 2f86ad1c4..333c1f319 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/tools/LoadTestCommandTest.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/tools/LoadTestCommandTest.java
@@ -20,12 +20,11 @@ import static org.mockito.Matchers.eq;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verifyZeroInteractions;
+
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import com.google.common.net.MediaType;
-import google.registry.testing.ExceptionRule;
 import google.registry.tools.ServerSideCommand.Connection;
 import org.junit.Before;
-import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.junit.runners.JUnit4;
@@ -34,8 +33,6 @@ import org.junit.runners.JUnit4;
 public class LoadTestCommandTest extends CommandTestCase<LoadTestCommand> {
   Connection connection = mock(Connection.class);
 
-  @Rule public final ExceptionRule thrown = new ExceptionRule();
-
   @Before
   public void setUp() throws Exception {
     command.setConnection(connection);
diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/util/ConcurrentTest.java b/javatests/google/registry/util/ConcurrentTest.java
index ad7924941..83e0fa4c0 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/util/ConcurrentTest.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/util/ConcurrentTest.java
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ public class ConcurrentTest {
       fail("Didn't throw!");
     } catch (UncheckedExecutionException e) {
       // We can't use ExpectedException because root cause must be one level of indirection away.
-      assertThat(e.getCause()).isInstanceOf(RuntimeException.class);
-      assertThat(e.getCause()).hasMessage("hello");
+      assertThat(e).hasCauseThat().isInstanceOf(RuntimeException.class);
+      assertThat(e).hasCauseThat().hasMessageThat().isEqualTo("hello");
     }
   }