diff --git a/tracker/automated/test-tracker.py b/tracker/automated/test-tracker.py
index 0c0de4de5d97763c7536f8b71feeba68a9ad9450..675f02ec455ecc1feb3ce6028cf179c63b5676cc 100755
--- a/tracker/automated/test-tracker.py
+++ b/tracker/automated/test-tracker.py
@@ -50,11 +50,11 @@ class TrackerTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def assert_indexed(self, filename, extra=None):
         uri = 'file://%s/%s' % (self.homedir, filename)
-        self.assertTrue(self.indexer.is_indexed(uri, extra))
+        self.indexer.assert_indexed(uri, extra)
 
     def assert_not_indexed(self, filename):
         uri = 'file://%s/%s' % (self.homedir, filename)
-        self.assertTrue(self.indexer.is_not_indexed(uri))
+        self.indexer.assert_not_indexed(uri)
 
     def tracker_inital_tests(self):
         playable_query = '?urn bosch:playable true . '
diff --git a/tracker/common.py b/tracker/common.py
index 052025da3675452136745ecba263ff3c9c7a75dc..c8bce6fef3f3c3362ecf8eccd54002376af794d3 100644
--- a/tracker/common.py
+++ b/tracker/common.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class TrackerIndexer():
         self.wait_files = True
         self.loop.run()
 
-    def is_indexed(self, uri, extra=None):
+    def assert_indexed(self, uri, extra=None):
         query = ('select ?urn where { '
                  '  ?urn nie:url "%s" ; '
                  '  tracker:available true . ') % (uri)
@@ -120,9 +120,13 @@ class TrackerIndexer():
 
         # Must have one and only one result
         cursor = self.conn.query(query, None)
-        return cursor.next(None) and not cursor.next(None)
+        if not cursor.next(None):
+            raise Exception("Query '%s' returned no result" % query)
+        if cursor.next(None):
+            raise Exception("Query '%s' returned more than one result" % query)
 
-    def is_not_indexed(self, uri):
+    def assert_not_indexed(self, uri):
         query = ('select ?urn where { ?urn nie:url "%s" }') % (uri)
         cursor = self.conn.query(query, None)
-        return not cursor.next(None)
+        if cursor.next(None):
+            raise Exception("Query '%s' returned results" % query)
diff --git a/tracker/manual/test-removable-device.py b/tracker/manual/test-removable-device.py
index ce888d8ee9a3321506d604ac32f40704a306c282..3808d631426b2a4c622fda6a49b947378fcaca74 100755
--- a/tracker/manual/test-removable-device.py
+++ b/tracker/manual/test-removable-device.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class TestRemovableDevice(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def assert_indexed(self, filename, extra=None):
         uri = 'file://%s/%s' % (self.path, filename)
-        self.assertTrue(self.indexer.is_indexed(uri, extra))
+        self.indexer.assert_indexed(uri, extra)
 
     def test_removable_device(self):
         print('Please insert storage ...')