diff --git a/src/lib/test/run.hpp b/src/lib/test/run.hpp
index 0b3e896b3..930e3592f 100644
--- a/src/lib/test/run.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/test/run.hpp
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ namespace test
     
 } // namespace test
 
-// make them global for convienience 
+// make them global for convenience 
 using ::test::Arg;
 using ::test::Test;
 using ::test::Launch;
diff --git a/src/lib/test/test-helper.hpp b/src/lib/test/test-helper.hpp
index 23c252148..91b13da96 100644
--- a/src/lib/test/test-helper.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/test/test-helper.hpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ namespace test{
   
   
   /** for printing sizeof().
-   *  prints the given size and name litterally, without any further magic */
+   *  prints the given size and name literally, without any further magic */
   string
   showSizeof (size_t siz, Symbol name);
   
@@ -98,4 +98,27 @@ namespace test{
   
   
 }} // namespace lib::test
+
+
+
+
+/* === test helper macros === */
+
+/**
+ * Macro to verify a statement indeed raises an exception.
+ * If no exception is thrown, the #NOTREACHED macro will trigger
+ * an assertion failure. In case of an exception, the #lumiera_error
+ * state is checked, cleared and verified.
+ */
+#define VERIFY_ERROR(ERROR_ID, ERRONEOUS_STATEMENT) \
+          try                             \
+            {                             \
+              ERRONEOUS_STATEMENT ;       \
+              NOTREACHED;                 \
+            }                             \
+          catch (...)                     \
+            {                             \
+              ASSERT (lumiera_error () == LUMIERA_ERROR_##ERROR_ID ); \
+            }
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/lib/util.hpp b/src/lib/util.hpp
index 1fba41ca1..a835fc443 100644
--- a/src/lib/util.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/util.hpp
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ namespace util {
  *        and we probably will enforce this design rule in future. */
 #define INSTANCEOF(CLASS, EXPR) (dynamic_cast<const CLASS*> (EXPR))
 
-/** the inevitalbe MAX macro, sometimes still necessary in template code */
+/** the inevitable MAX macro, sometimes still necessary in template code */
 #ifndef MAX   // this is present to make this definition play nice with GLib
 #define MAX(A,B) ((A < B) ?  (B) : (A))
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/components/proc/mobject/mobject-ref-test.cpp b/tests/components/proc/mobject/mobject-ref-test.cpp
index ac0617818..cafae095f 100644
--- a/tests/components/proc/mobject/mobject-ref-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/components/proc/mobject/mobject-ref-test.cpp
@@ -201,24 +201,8 @@ namespace test    {
           ASSERT (2 == p1.use_count());
           ASSERT (2 == p2.use_count());
           
-          try
-            {
-              rMO.getPlacement();
-              NOTREACHED;
-            }
-          catch (...)
-            {
-              ASSERT (lumiera_error () == error::LUMIERA_ERROR_INVALID_PLACEMENTREF);
-            }
-          try
-            {
-              rMO->getMedia();
-              NOTREACHED
-            }
-          catch (...)
-            {
-              ASSERT (lumiera_error () == LUMIERA_ERROR_INVALID_MOBJECTREF);
-            }
+          VERIFY_ERROR (INVALID_PLACEMENTREF, rMO.getPlacement() );
+          VERIFY_ERROR (INVALID_MOBJECTREF,   rMO->getMedia()    );
         }
       
       void
diff --git a/tests/components/proc/mobject/placement-hierarchy-test.cpp b/tests/components/proc/mobject/placement-hierarchy-test.cpp
index 6ca72b590..3da03055e 100644
--- a/tests/components/proc/mobject/placement-hierarchy-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/components/proc/mobject/placement-hierarchy-test.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ namespace test    {
   using session::Clip;
   using lib::test::showSizeof;
   using namespace mobject::test;
+  using error::LUMIERA_ERROR_ASSERTION;
   
   
   /***************************************************************************************
@@ -147,15 +148,9 @@ namespace test    {
           
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO: find a way to configure NoBug to throw in case of assertion
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO: configure NoBug specifically for the testsuite
-//        try
-//          {
-//            hijacked->specialAPI();
-//            NOTREACHED;
-//          }
-//        catch (...)
-//          {
-//            ASSERT (lumiera_error () == error::LUMIERA_ERROR_ASSERTION);
-//          }
+#ifdef false
+          VERIFY_ERROR (ASSERTION, hijacked->specialAPI() );
+#endif
           
           // runtime type diagnostics based on pointee RTTI
           ASSERT ( pSub2.isCompatible<MObject>());