diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/snapshot-repo-test-kit/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/repositories/blobstore/testkit/RepositoryAnalysisFailureIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/snapshot-repo-test-kit/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/repositories/blobstore/testkit/RepositoryAnalysisFailureIT.java
index ba132938b238e..251d20dbc4c4f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/snapshot-repo-test-kit/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/repositories/blobstore/testkit/RepositoryAnalysisFailureIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/snapshot-repo-test-kit/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/repositories/blobstore/testkit/RepositoryAnalysisFailureIT.java
@@ -341,7 +341,9 @@ public BytesReference onCompareAndExchange(BytesRegister register, BytesReferenc
             analyseRepository(request);
             assertFalse(sawSpuriousValue.get());
         } catch (RepositoryVerificationException e) {
-            assertTrue(sawSpuriousValue.get());
+            if (sawSpuriousValue.get() == false) {
+                fail(e, "did not see spurious value, so why did the verification fail?");
+            }
         }
     }