diff --git a/test/get-commits.test.js b/test/get-commits.test.js
index 3366de46..ad59f60b 100644
--- a/test/get-commits.test.js
+++ b/test/get-commits.test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import test from 'ava';
 import {stub} from 'sinon';
-import SemanticReleaseError from '@semantic-release/error';
 import getCommits from '../lib/get-commits';
 import {
   gitRepo,
@@ -409,7 +408,7 @@ test.serial('Throws ENOGITHEAD error if the gitHead of the last release cannot b
 
   // Verify error code and type
   t.is(error.code, 'ENOGITHEAD');
-  t.true(error instanceof SemanticReleaseError);
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
   // Verify the log function has been called with a message explaining the error
   t.regex(
     t.context.error.firstCall.args[0],
@@ -428,7 +427,7 @@ test.serial('Throws ENOTINHISTORY error if gitHead is not in history', async t =
 
   // Verify error code and type
   t.is(error.code, 'ENOTINHISTORY');
-  t.true(error instanceof SemanticReleaseError);
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
   // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the branch
   t.regex(t.context.error.firstCall.args[0], /history of the "master" branch/);
   // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the missing gitHead
@@ -453,7 +452,7 @@ test.serial('Throws ENOTINHISTORY error if gitHead is not in branch history but
 
   // Verify error code and type
   t.is(error.code, 'ENOTINHISTORY');
-  t.true(error instanceof SemanticReleaseError);
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
   // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the branch
   t.regex(t.context.error.firstCall.args[0], /history of the "master" branch/);
   // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the missing gitHead
@@ -482,7 +481,7 @@ test.serial('Throws ENOTINHISTORY error if gitHead is not in detached head but p
 
   // Verify error code and type
   t.is(error.code, 'ENOTINHISTORY');
-  t.true(error instanceof SemanticReleaseError);
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
   // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the branch
   t.regex(t.context.error.firstCall.args[0], /history of the "master" branch/);
   // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the missing gitHead
@@ -508,7 +507,7 @@ test.serial('Throws ENOTINHISTORY error when a tag is not in branch history but
   const error = await t.throws(getCommits({version: '1.0.0'}, 'master', t.context.logger));
   // Verify error code and type
   t.is(error.code, 'ENOTINHISTORY');
-  t.true(error instanceof SemanticReleaseError);
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
   // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the branch
   t.regex(t.context.error.firstCall.args[0], /history of the "master" branch/);
   // Verify the log function has been called with a message mentionning the missing gitHead
diff --git a/test/git.test.js b/test/git.test.js
index 24097936..57ae1e53 100644
--- a/test/git.test.js
+++ b/test/git.test.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ test.serial('Throw error if the last commit sha cannot be found', async t => {
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   await gitRepo();
 
-  await t.throws(gitHead());
+  await t.throws(gitHead(), Error);
 });
 
 test.serial('Unshallow repository', async t => {
diff --git a/test/index.test.js b/test/index.test.js
index 67b69e4f..54051a5d 100644
--- a/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/index.test.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import test from 'ava';
 import proxyquire from 'proxyquire';
 import {stub} from 'sinon';
 import tempy from 'tempy';
-import SemanticReleaseError from '@semantic-release/error';
 import DEFINITIONS from '../lib/plugins/definitions';
 import {gitHead as getGitHead} from '../lib/git';
 import {gitRepo, gitCommits, gitTagVersion} from './helpers/git-utils';
@@ -250,10 +249,10 @@ test.serial('Throw SemanticReleaseError if not running from a git repository', a
 
   // Verify error code and type
   t.is(error.code, 'ENOGITREPO');
-  t.true(error instanceof SemanticReleaseError);
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
 });
 
-test.serial('Throw SemanticReleaseError if repositoryUrl is not set and canot be found', async t => {
+test.serial('Throw SemanticReleaseError if repositoryUrl is not set and cannot be found', async t => {
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
   await gitRepo();
 
@@ -261,7 +260,8 @@ test.serial('Throw SemanticReleaseError if repositoryUrl is not set and canot be
 
   // Verify error code and type
   t.is(error.code, 'ENOREPOURL');
-  t.true(error instanceof SemanticReleaseError);
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
+});
 
 test.serial('Throw an Error if returns an unexpected value', async t => {
   // Create a git repository, set the current working directory at the root of the repo
diff --git a/test/plugins/normalize.test.js b/test/plugins/normalize.test.js
index d0957752..51711177 100644
--- a/test/plugins/normalize.test.js
+++ b/test/plugins/normalize.test.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ test('Wrap plugin in a function that validate the output of the plugin', async t
   await t.notThrows(plugin());
 
   pluginFunction.resolves(2);
-  const error = await t.throws(plugin());
+  const error = await t.throws(plugin(), Error);
   t.is(error.message, 'The output must be 1. Received: 2');
 });
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ test('Always pass a defined "pluginConfig" for plugin defined with path', async
 });
 
 test('Throws an error if the plugin return an object without the expected plugin function', t => {
-  const error = t.throws(() => normalize('inexistantPlugin', './test/fixtures/multi-plugin', t.context.logger));
+  const error = t.throws(() => normalize('inexistantPlugin', './test/fixtures/multi-plugin', t.context.logger), Error);
 
   t.is(
     error.message,
diff --git a/test/plugins/pipeline.test.js b/test/plugins/pipeline.test.js
index ea26f2cf..3b35633c 100644
--- a/test/plugins/pipeline.test.js
+++ b/test/plugins/pipeline.test.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ test('Stop execution and throw error is a step rejects', async t => {
   const step2 = stub().throws(new Error('test error'));
   const step3 = stub().resolves(3);
 
-  const error = await t.throws(pipeline([step1, step2, step3])(0));
+  const error = await t.throws(pipeline([step1, step2, step3])(0), Error);
   t.is(error.message, 'test error');
   t.true(step1.calledWith(0));
   t.true(step2.calledWith(0));
diff --git a/test/plugins/plugins.test.js b/test/plugins/plugins.test.js
index a4525cf0..edea9c9e 100644
--- a/test/plugins/plugins.test.js
+++ b/test/plugins/plugins.test.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ test('Use default when only options are passed for a single plugin', t => {
 });
 
 test('Throw an error if plugin configuration is missing a path for plugin pipeline', t => {
-  const error = t.throws(() => getPlugins({verifyConditions: {}}, t.context.logger));
+  const error = t.throws(() => getPlugins({verifyConditions: {}}, t.context.logger), Error);
 
   t.is(
     error.message,
@@ -58,7 +58,10 @@ test('Throw an error if plugin configuration is missing a path for plugin pipeli
 });
 
 test('Throw an error if an array of plugin configuration is missing a path for plugin pipeline', t => {
-  const error = t.throws(() => getPlugins({verifyConditions: [{path: '@semantic-release/npm'}, {}]}, t.context.logger));
+  const error = t.throws(
+    () => getPlugins({verifyConditions: [{path: '@semantic-release/npm'}, {}]}, t.context.logger),
+    Error
+  );
 
   t.is(
     error.message,