diff --git a/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/logging/LogMonitoringAppender.java b/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/logging/LogMonitoringAppender.java
index cbf2a4739c2b2c9d84f1f16492f94567888514c2..87299fee29913e25e03d9f47e8497165d839ddde 100644
--- a/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/logging/LogMonitoringAppender.java
+++ b/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/logging/LogMonitoringAppender.java
@@ -109,9 +109,8 @@ public final class LogMonitoringAppender extends AppenderSkeleton
     return false;
   }
 
-  public boolean hasLogHappened()
+  public void verifyLogHasHappened()
   {
-    return logHappened;
+      assert logHappened : "Following log snippet missed: " + messagePart;
   }
-
 }
diff --git a/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/DirectoryScanningTimerTaskTest.java b/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/DirectoryScanningTimerTaskTest.java
index f48013d7a2aa805922dff9d6a91035917ea6f6f5..94935be0a3e0964855537a5f4d3208be71c18176 100644
--- a/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/DirectoryScanningTimerTaskTest.java
+++ b/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/DirectoryScanningTimerTaskTest.java
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ public class DirectoryScanningTimerTaskTest
         dir.delete();
         assert dir.exists() == false;
         scanner.run();
-        assert appender.hasLogHappened();
+        appender.verifyLogHasHappened();
         LogMonitoringAppender.removeAppender(appender);
     }
 
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ public class DirectoryScanningTimerTaskTest
         dir.deleteOnExit();
         assert dir.isFile();
         scanner.run();
-        assert appender.hasLogHappened();
+        appender.verifyLogHasHappened();
         dir.delete();
         LogMonitoringAppender.removeAppender(appender);
     }
@@ -360,8 +360,8 @@ public class DirectoryScanningTimerTaskTest
         final DirectoryScanningTimerTask scanner =
                 new DirectoryScanningTimerTask(dir, EXCEPTION_THROWING_FILE_FILTER, mockPathHandler);
         scanner.run();
-        assert appender1.hasLogHappened();
-        assert appender2.hasLogHappened();
+        appender1.verifyLogHasHappened();
+        appender2.verifyLogHasHappened();
         file.delete();
         dir.delete();
         LogMonitoringAppender.removeAppender(appender1);
diff --git a/datamover/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/datamover/CopyActivityMonitorTest.java b/datamover/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/datamover/CopyActivityMonitorTest.java
index 9d12d92040fe59d1414be1983e69c0056dc025a2..ff2f52ade1250c65bce69ce04f3c4244b1688e54 100644
--- a/datamover/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/datamover/CopyActivityMonitorTest.java
+++ b/datamover/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/datamover/CopyActivityMonitorTest.java
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ public class CopyActivityMonitorTest
         monitor.stop();
         LogMonitoringAppender.removeAppender(appender);
         assert copyProcess.isTerminated();
-        assert appender.hasLogHappened();
+        appender.verifyLogHasHappened();
     }
 
     private final class PathLastChangedCheckerStuck implements IPathLastChangedChecker