diff --git a/src/agents/btw.test.ts b/src/agents/btw.test.ts
index 1343f48e26c..58ec37ad98a 100644
--- a/src/agents/btw.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/btw.test.ts
@@ -254,7 +254,9 @@ function expectRecordFields(
   record: unknown,
   expected: Record<string, unknown>,
 ): Record<string, unknown> {
-  expect(record).toBeDefined();
+  if (!record || typeof record !== "object") {
+    throw new Error("Expected record");
+  }
   const actual = record as Record<string, unknown>;
   for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(expected)) {
     expect(actual[key]).toEqual(value);
@@ -267,8 +269,10 @@ function streamContext(callIndex = 0): {
   systemPrompt?: unknown;
 } {
   const call = streamSimpleMock.mock.calls[callIndex];
-  expect(call).toBeDefined();
-  return (call?.[1] ?? {}) as {
+  if (!call) {
+    throw new Error(`Expected streamSimple call at index ${callIndex}`);
+  }
+  return (call[1] ?? {}) as {
     messages?: Array<Record<string, unknown>>;
     systemPrompt?: unknown;
   };
diff --git a/src/agents/harness/v2.test.ts b/src/agents/harness/v2.test.ts
index 8d9c5a371e1..9a951feeaa9 100644
--- a/src/agents/harness/v2.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/harness/v2.test.ts
@@ -85,7 +85,9 @@ function captureDiagnosticEvents(): {
 
 function mockCallArg(mock: { mock: { calls: unknown[][] } }, index = 0): unknown {
   const call = mock.mock.calls[index];
-  expect(call).toBeDefined();
+  if (!call) {
+    throw new Error(`Expected mock call at index ${index}`);
+  }
   return call[0];
 }
 
diff --git a/src/agents/openclaw-gateway-tool.test.ts b/src/agents/openclaw-gateway-tool.test.ts
index 6c770cd2351..2a0bf6733ad 100644
--- a/src/agents/openclaw-gateway-tool.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/openclaw-gateway-tool.test.ts
@@ -55,8 +55,10 @@ function gatewayCalls(): GatewayCall[] {
 
 function gatewayCall(method: string): GatewayCall {
   const call = gatewayCalls().find(([candidate]) => candidate === method);
-  expect(call).toBeDefined();
-  return call as GatewayCall;
+  if (!call) {
+    throw new Error(`Expected gateway call for ${method}`);
+  }
+  return call;
 }
 
 function expectGatewayCallFields(
@@ -84,7 +86,9 @@ function expectRecordFields(
   record: unknown,
   expected: Record<string, unknown>,
 ): Record<string, unknown> {
-  expect(record).toBeDefined();
+  if (!record || typeof record !== "object") {
+    throw new Error("Expected record");
+  }
   const actual = record as Record<string, unknown>;
   for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(expected)) {
     expect(actual[key]).toEqual(value);
@@ -104,8 +108,10 @@ function expectConfigMutationCall(params: {
 }) {
   expect(params.callGatewayTool.mock.calls.some(([method]) => method === "config.get")).toBe(true);
   const call = params.callGatewayTool.mock.calls.find(([method]) => method === params.action);
-  expect(call).toBeDefined();
-  expectRecordFields(call?.[2], {
+  if (!call) {
+    throw new Error(`Expected gateway call for ${params.action}`);
+  }
+  expectRecordFields(call[2], {
     raw: params.raw.trim(),
     baseHash: "hash-1",
     sessionKey: params.sessionKey,
diff --git a/src/agents/openclaw-owned-tool-runtime-contract.test.ts b/src/agents/openclaw-owned-tool-runtime-contract.test.ts
index 5796f234bd6..f1500ac7287 100644
--- a/src/agents/openclaw-owned-tool-runtime-contract.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/openclaw-owned-tool-runtime-contract.test.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,9 @@ async function waitForAfterToolCall(hooks: {
     expect(hooks.afterToolCall.mock.calls.length).toBe(1);
   });
   const call = hooks.afterToolCall.mock.calls[0];
-  expect(call).toBeDefined();
+  if (!call) {
+    throw new Error("Expected afterToolCall hook call");
+  }
   return call as [Record<string, unknown>, Record<string, unknown>];
 }
 
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-tools.before-tool-call.e2e.test.ts b/src/agents/pi-tools.before-tool-call.e2e.test.ts
index f5007023b2a..94486c85172 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-tools.before-tool-call.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-tools.before-tool-call.e2e.test.ts
@@ -661,7 +661,6 @@ describe("before_tool_call requireApproval handling", () => {
     index: number,
   ): [event: Record<string, unknown>, context: Record<string, unknown>] {
     const call = hookRunner.runBeforeToolCall.mock.calls[index] as unknown[] | undefined;
-    expect(call).toBeDefined();
     if (!call) {
       throw new Error(`missing before_tool_call hook call ${index + 1}`);
     }
diff --git a/src/agents/subagent-announce.format.e2e.test.ts b/src/agents/subagent-announce.format.e2e.test.ts
index fdba02d1a46..26cfcc26d92 100644
--- a/src/agents/subagent-announce.format.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/subagent-announce.format.e2e.test.ts
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ function expectInputProvenance(
 
 function getAgentCall(index = 0): AgentCallRequest {
   const call = agentSpy.mock.calls[index]?.[0];
-  expect(call).toBeDefined();
   if (!call) {
     throw new Error(`Expected agent call at index ${index}`);
   }
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-chat.agent-events.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-chat.agent-events.test.ts
index a81be82d46b..2f04f47bcbf 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-chat.agent-events.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-chat.agent-events.test.ts
@@ -186,7 +186,6 @@ describe("agent event handler", () => {
     label: string,
   ) {
     const call = mock.mock.calls[index];
-    expect(call).toBeDefined();
     if (!call) {
       throw new Error(`missing ${label} call ${index + 1}`);
     }
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-restart-sentinel.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-restart-sentinel.test.ts
index 5bf067cee45..3b406066c09 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-restart-sentinel.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-restart-sentinel.test.ts
@@ -333,8 +333,10 @@ function expectMockCallFields(
 
 function expectNthSystemEventFields(callIndex: number, expected: Record<string, unknown>): void {
   const call = mocks.enqueueSystemEvent.mock.calls[callIndex];
-  expect(call).toBeDefined();
-  expectRecordFields(call?.[1], expected);
+  if (!call) {
+    throw new Error(`Expected enqueueSystemEvent call at index ${callIndex}`);
+  }
+  expectRecordFields(call[1], expected);
 }
 
 function expectContinuationDispatchFields(
diff --git a/src/gateway/server.sessions.reset-hooks.test.ts b/src/gateway/server.sessions.reset-hooks.test.ts
index e22e7356738..3dc4c251f17 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.sessions.reset-hooks.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.sessions.reset-hooks.test.ts
@@ -27,8 +27,10 @@ type HookEventRecord = Record<string, unknown> & {
 
 function firstHookCall(mock: { mock: { calls: unknown[][] } }): [HookEventRecord, HookEventRecord] {
   const call = mock.mock.calls[0];
-  expect(call).toBeDefined();
-  return [call?.[0] as HookEventRecord, call?.[1] as HookEventRecord];
+  if (!call) {
+    throw new Error("Expected hook call");
+  }
+  return [call[0] as HookEventRecord, call[1] as HookEventRecord];
 }
 
 function expectTranscriptResetEvent(params: {