diff --git a/test/unit/common/middleware/test_proxy_logging.py b/test/unit/common/middleware/test_proxy_logging.py
index 633551dd6c..fa5d001c9b 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/middleware/test_proxy_logging.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/middleware/test_proxy_logging.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class TestProxyLogging(unittest.TestCase):
                     self.assertAlmostEqual(exp_timing, timing_call[0][1],
                                            places=4)
         if not found:
-            self.assertTrue(False, 'assertTiming: %s not found in %r' % (
+            self.fail('assertTiming: %s not found in %r' % (
                 exp_metric, timing_calls))
 
     def assertTimingSince(self, exp_metric, app, exp_start=None):
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ class TestProxyLogging(unittest.TestCase):
                     self.assertAlmostEqual(exp_start, timing_call[0][1],
                                            places=4)
         if not found:
-            self.assertTrue(False, 'assertTimingSince: %s not found in %r' % (
+            self.fail('assertTimingSince: %s not found in %r' % (
                 exp_metric, timing_calls))
 
     def assertNotTiming(self, not_exp_metric, app):
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_swob.py b/test/unit/common/test_swob.py
index 53a0dac914..a5426f7bf9 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_swob.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_swob.py
@@ -440,8 +440,7 @@ class TestRequest(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertEqual("got unexpected keyword argument 'host_url'",
                              str(e))
         else:
-            self.assertTrue(False, "invalid req_environ_property "
-                            "didn't raise error!")
+            self.fail("invalid req_environ_property didn't raise error!")
         # regular attribute
         try:
             swift.common.swob.Request.blank('/', _params_cache={'a': 'b'})
@@ -449,8 +448,7 @@ class TestRequest(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertEqual("got unexpected keyword "
                              "argument '_params_cache'", str(e))
         else:
-            self.assertTrue(False, "invalid req_environ_property "
-                            "didn't raise error!")
+            self.fail("invalid req_environ_property didn't raise error!")
         # non-existent attribute
         try:
             swift.common.swob.Request.blank('/', params_cache={'a': 'b'})
@@ -458,8 +456,7 @@ class TestRequest(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertEqual("got unexpected keyword "
                              "argument 'params_cache'", str(e))
         else:
-            self.assertTrue(False, "invalid req_environ_property "
-                            "didn't raise error!")
+            self.fail("invalid req_environ_property didn't raise error!")
         # method
         try:
             swift.common.swob.Request.blank(
@@ -468,8 +465,7 @@ class TestRequest(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertEqual("got unexpected keyword "
                              "argument 'as_referer'", str(e))
         else:
-            self.assertTrue(False, "invalid req_environ_property "
-                            "didn't raise error!")
+            self.fail("invalid req_environ_property didn't raise error!")
 
     def test_blank_path_info_precedence(self):
         blank = swift.common.swob.Request.blank