diff --git a/src/cli/capability-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/capability-cli.test.ts
index 9f58b4e4411..a3667614611 100644
--- a/src/cli/capability-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/capability-cli.test.ts
@@ -1872,7 +1872,9 @@ describe("capability cli", () => {
       argv: ["capability", "model", "auth", "logout", "--provider", "openai", "--json"],
     });
 
-    expect(updatedStore).not.toBeNull();
+    if (updatedStore === null) {
+      throw new Error("expected updated auth store");
+    }
     const storeSnapshot = updatedStore as unknown as Record<string, any>;
     expect(storeSnapshot.profiles).toEqual({
       "anthropic:default": { id: "anthropic:default" },
diff --git a/src/cli/channel-auth.test.ts b/src/cli/channel-auth.test.ts
index d67e7deb9ab..2d5a62a4ebc 100644
--- a/src/cli/channel-auth.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/channel-auth.test.ts
@@ -79,8 +79,9 @@ vi.mock("../commands/channel-setup/plugin-install.js", () => ({
 }));
 
 function expectFields(value: unknown, expected: Record<string, unknown>): void {
-  expect(value).toBeTypeOf("object");
-  expect(value).not.toBeNull();
+  if (!value || typeof value !== "object") {
+    throw new Error("expected fields object");
+  }
   const record = value as Record<string, unknown>;
   for (const [key, expectedValue] of Object.entries(expected)) {
     expect(record[key], key).toEqual(expectedValue);
@@ -89,8 +90,9 @@ function expectFields(value: unknown, expected: Record<string, unknown>): void {
 
 function readFirstCallArg(mock: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>): Record<string, unknown> {
   const [arg] = mock.mock.calls[0] ?? [];
-  expect(arg).toBeTypeOf("object");
-  expect(arg).not.toBeNull();
+  if (!arg || typeof arg !== "object") {
+    throw new Error("expected first call argument object");
+  }
   return arg as Record<string, unknown>;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cli/daemon-cli/install.test.ts b/src/cli/daemon-cli/install.test.ts
index 4477b07edca..406bd8e9a5a 100644
--- a/src/cli/daemon-cli/install.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/daemon-cli/install.test.ts
@@ -183,8 +183,9 @@ function expectFirstInstallPlanCallOmitsToken() {
 }
 
 function expectFields(value: unknown, expected: Record<string, unknown>): void {
-  expect(value).toBeTypeOf("object");
-  expect(value).not.toBeNull();
+  if (!value || typeof value !== "object") {
+    throw new Error("expected fields object");
+  }
   const record = value as Record<string, unknown>;
   for (const [key, expectedValue] of Object.entries(expected)) {
     expect(record[key], key).toEqual(expectedValue);
diff --git a/src/cli/devices-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/devices-cli.test.ts
index 293ce9c2533..2e73539b143 100644
--- a/src/cli/devices-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/devices-cli.test.ts
@@ -123,8 +123,6 @@ function mockLocalPairingFallback(message?: string) {
 }
 
 function requireRecord(value: unknown, label: string): Record<string, unknown> {
-  expect(typeof value).toBe("object");
-  expect(value).not.toBeNull();
   if (typeof value !== "object" || value === null) {
     throw new Error(`${label} was not an object`);
   }
diff --git a/src/cli/models-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/models-cli.test.ts
index 719f462bad5..3f3e895f4cc 100644
--- a/src/cli/models-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/models-cli.test.ts
@@ -116,8 +116,9 @@ describe("models cli", () => {
     for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(expected)) {
       expect(options?.[key]).toEqual(value);
     }
-    expect(typeof context).toBe("object");
-    expect(context).not.toBeNull();
+    if (!context || typeof context !== "object") {
+      throw new Error("expected command context");
+    }
   }
 
   it("registers github-copilot login command", async () => {
diff --git a/src/cli/program/register.status-health-sessions.test.ts b/src/cli/program/register.status-health-sessions.test.ts
index c0a1302b4aa..e5ad9b1281f 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/register.status-health-sessions.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/register.status-health-sessions.test.ts
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ type MockCalls = {
 };
 
 function requireRecord(value: unknown, label: string): Record<string, unknown> {
-  expect(typeof value, label).toBe("object");
-  expect(value, label).not.toBeNull();
+  if (!value || typeof value !== "object") {
+    throw new Error(`expected ${label}`);
+  }
   return value as Record<string, unknown>;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cli/run-main.test.ts b/src/cli/run-main.test.ts
index 0320c99ad34..b51b3538025 100644
--- a/src/cli/run-main.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/run-main.test.ts
@@ -400,7 +400,9 @@ describe("resolveMissingPluginCommandMessage", () => {
       },
       { registry: losslessClawToolRegistry },
     );
-    expect(message).not.toBeNull();
+    if (message === null) {
+      throw new Error("expected missing plugin command message");
+    }
     expect(message).toContain('"lcm_recent"');
     expect(message).toContain('"lossless-claw"');
     expect(message).toContain("agent tool");
@@ -411,7 +413,9 @@ describe("resolveMissingPluginCommandMessage", () => {
     const message = resolveMissingPluginCommandMessage("LCM_Recent", undefined, {
       registry: losslessClawToolRegistry,
     });
-    expect(message).not.toBeNull();
+    if (message === null) {
+      throw new Error("expected missing plugin command message");
+    }
     expect(message).toContain("agent tool");
     expect(message).toContain('"lossless-claw"');
   });
@@ -495,7 +499,9 @@ describe("resolveMissingPluginCommandMessage", () => {
     const message = resolveMissingPluginCommandMessage("feishu_chat", undefined, {
       resolveToolOwner: () => manifestOnlyOwner,
     });
-    expect(message).not.toBeNull();
+    if (message === null) {
+      throw new Error("expected missing plugin command message");
+    }
     expect(message).toContain("may be provided by");
     expect(message).toContain('"feishu"');
     expect(message).not.toContain("registered by");
diff --git a/src/cli/skills-cli.commands.test.ts b/src/cli/skills-cli.commands.test.ts
index ff450603c83..bc8c4b5e31c 100644
--- a/src/cli/skills-cli.commands.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/skills-cli.commands.test.ts
@@ -118,14 +118,16 @@ function mockCall(mock: unknown, index = 0): Array<unknown> {
 
 function mockFirstObjectArg(mock: unknown): Record<string, unknown> {
   const [arg] = mockCall(mock);
-  expect(arg).toBeTypeOf("object");
-  expect(arg).not.toBeNull();
+  if (!arg || typeof arg !== "object") {
+    throw new Error("expected first mock argument object");
+  }
   return arg as Record<string, unknown>;
 }
 
 function expectObjectFields(value: unknown, expected: Record<string, unknown>): void {
-  expect(value).toBeTypeOf("object");
-  expect(value).not.toBeNull();
+  if (!value || typeof value !== "object") {
+    throw new Error("expected object fields");
+  }
   const record = value as Record<string, unknown>;
   for (const [key, expectedValue] of Object.entries(expected)) {
     expect(record[key], key).toEqual(expectedValue);
@@ -133,8 +135,9 @@ function expectObjectFields(value: unknown, expected: Record<string, unknown>):
 }
 
 function expectLogger(value: unknown): void {
-  expect(value).toBeTypeOf("object");
-  expect(value).not.toBeNull();
+  if (!value || typeof value !== "object") {
+    throw new Error("expected logger object");
+  }
 }
 
 function expectStatusWorkspaceCall(workspaceDir: string): void {