diff --git a/conn_test.go b/conn_test.go
index d3c01f34..092e7bd2 100644
--- a/conn_test.go
+++ b/conn_test.go
@@ -935,12 +935,14 @@ func TestParseErrorInExtendedQuery(t *testing.T) {
 	db := openTestConn(t)
 	defer db.Close()
 
-	rows, err := db.Query("PARSE_ERROR $1", 1)
-	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("expected error")
+	_, err := db.Query("PARSE_ERROR $1", 1)
+	pqErr, _ := err.(*Error)
+	// Expecting a syntax error.
+	if err == nil || pqErr == nil || pqErr.Code != "42601" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected syntax error, got %s", err)
 	}
 
-	rows, err = db.Query("SELECT 1")
+	rows, err := db.Query("SELECT 1")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -1392,36 +1394,29 @@ func TestParseOpts(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRuntimeParameters(t *testing.T) {
-	type RuntimeTestResult int
-	const (
-		ResultUnknown RuntimeTestResult = iota
-		ResultSuccess
-		ResultError // other error
-	)
-
 	tests := []struct {
-		conninfo        string
-		param           string
-		expected        string
-		expectedOutcome RuntimeTestResult
+		conninfo string
+		param    string
+		expected string
+		success  bool
 	}{
 		// invalid parameter
-		{"DOESNOTEXIST=foo", "", "", ResultError},
+		{"DOESNOTEXIST=foo", "", "", false},
 		// we can only work with a specific value for these two
-		{"client_encoding=SQL_ASCII", "", "", ResultError},
-		{"datestyle='ISO, YDM'", "", "", ResultError},
+		{"client_encoding=SQL_ASCII", "", "", false},
+		{"datestyle='ISO, YDM'", "", "", false},
 		// "options" should work exactly as it does in libpq
-		{"options='-c search_path=pqgotest'", "search_path", "pqgotest", ResultSuccess},
+		{"options='-c search_path=pqgotest'", "search_path", "pqgotest", true},
 		// pq should override client_encoding in this case
-		{"options='-c client_encoding=SQL_ASCII'", "client_encoding", "UTF8", ResultSuccess},
+		{"options='-c client_encoding=SQL_ASCII'", "client_encoding", "UTF8", true},
 		// allow client_encoding to be set explicitly
-		{"client_encoding=UTF8", "client_encoding", "UTF8", ResultSuccess},
+		{"client_encoding=UTF8", "client_encoding", "UTF8", true},
 		// test a runtime parameter not supported by libpq
-		{"work_mem='139kB'", "work_mem", "139kB", ResultSuccess},
+		{"work_mem='139kB'", "work_mem", "139kB", true},
 		// test fallback_application_name
-		{"application_name=foo fallback_application_name=bar", "application_name", "foo", ResultSuccess},
-		{"application_name='' fallback_application_name=bar", "application_name", "", ResultSuccess},
-		{"fallback_application_name=bar", "application_name", "bar", ResultSuccess},
+		{"application_name=foo fallback_application_name=bar", "application_name", "foo", true},
+		{"application_name='' fallback_application_name=bar", "application_name", "", true},
+		{"fallback_application_name=bar", "application_name", "bar", true},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {
@@ -1436,23 +1431,23 @@ func TestRuntimeParameters(t *testing.T) {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		tryGetParameterValue := func() (value string, outcome RuntimeTestResult) {
+		tryGetParameterValue := func() (value string, success bool) {
 			defer db.Close()
 			row := db.QueryRow("SELECT current_setting($1)", test.param)
 			err = row.Scan(&value)
 			if err != nil {
-				return "", ResultError
+				return "", false
 			}
-			return value, ResultSuccess
+			return value, true
 		}
 
-		value, outcome := tryGetParameterValue()
-		if outcome != test.expectedOutcome && outcome == ResultError {
+		value, success := tryGetParameterValue()
+		if success != test.success && !test.success {
 			t.Fatalf("%v: unexpected error: %v", test.conninfo, err)
 		}
-		if outcome != test.expectedOutcome {
+		if success != test.success {
 			t.Fatalf("unexpected outcome %v (was expecting %v) for conninfo \"%s\"",
-				outcome, test.expectedOutcome, test.conninfo)
+				success, test.success, test.conninfo)
 		}
 		if value != test.expected {
 			t.Fatalf("bad value for %s: got %s, want %s with conninfo \"%s\"",
diff --git a/notify_test.go b/notify_test.go
index 82a77e1e..075666dd 100644
--- a/notify_test.go
+++ b/notify_test.go
@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ func TestConnUnlisten(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	_, err = db.Exec("NOTIFY notify_test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	err = expectNotification(t, channel, "notify_test", "")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -159,6 +162,9 @@ func TestConnUnlistenAll(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	_, err = db.Exec("NOTIFY notify_test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	err = expectNotification(t, channel, "notify_test", "")
 	if err != nil {