diff --git a/beat/core/test/test_invalid_database.py b/beat/core/test/test_invalid_database.py
index 4326eff0536398ba3bed2a514c514b0c013c4dc3..2e4fde5188ef836e8d41a340906584f3b2eaae81 100644
--- a/beat/core/test/test_invalid_database.py
+++ b/beat/core/test/test_invalid_database.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 def doit(filename, error_msg):
     database = Database(prefix, filename)
-    assert database.errors
+    nose.tools.assert_true(database.errors)
     logger.error(error_msg)
     found = False
 
@@ -56,9 +56,12 @@ def doit(filename, error_msg):
             found = True
             break
 
-    assert found, (
-        "cannot find message `%s' on error list (%s) from loading database file `%s'"
-        % (error_msg, database.errors, filename)
+    nose.tools.assert_true(
+        found,
+        (
+            "cannot find message `%s' on error list (%s) from loading database file `%s'"
+            % (error_msg, database.errors, filename)
+        ),
     )