diff --git a/test/middleware.ts b/test/middleware.ts
index 80599527..7924a1a3 100644
--- a/test/middleware.ts
+++ b/test/middleware.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { UnknownError } from 'http-errors';
 import { ExtendableContext } from 'koa';
 import { Middleware } from 'koa-compose';
 import { AppContext } from '../src/app';
@@ -5,6 +6,11 @@ import { AppContext } from '../src/app';
 export type NextMiddleware<CustomT extends ExtendableContext = AppContext> =
   (context: CustomT) => Promise<void>;
 
+export const throwingNext = <CustomT extends ExtendableContext = AppContext>
+  (error: UnknownError = new Error()): NextMiddleware<CustomT> => (): never => {
+    throw error;
+  };
+
 export default async <CustomT extends ExtendableContext>(
   middleware: Middleware<CustomT>,
   context: CustomT,
diff --git a/test/middleware/error-handler.test.ts b/test/middleware/error-handler.test.ts
index 4752e28b..710831e8 100644
--- a/test/middleware/error-handler.test.ts
+++ b/test/middleware/error-handler.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { blankNode, literal, quad } from '@rdfjs/data-model';
-import createHttpError, { UnknownError } from 'http-errors';
+import createHttpError from 'http-errors';
 import { INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE } from 'http-status-codes';
 import 'jest-rdf';
 import { Response } from 'koa';
@@ -7,20 +7,16 @@ import { WithDataset } from '../../src/middleware/dataset';
 import errorHandler from '../../src/middleware/error-handler';
 import { hydra, rdf } from '../../src/namespaces';
 import createContext, { ErrorListener } from '../context';
-import runMiddleware, { NextMiddleware } from '../middleware';
+import runMiddleware, { NextMiddleware, throwingNext } from '../middleware';
 
 const makeRequest = async (next?: NextMiddleware, errorListener?: ErrorListener): Promise<WithDataset<Response>> => (
   runMiddleware(errorHandler(), createContext({ errorListener }), next)
 );
 
-const next = (error: UnknownError) => async (): Promise<void> => {
-  throw error;
-};
-
 describe('error-handler middleware', (): void => {
   describe('for an http error', (): void => {
     it('should capture the error and return an error response', async (): Promise<void> => {
-      const response = await makeRequest(next(new createHttpError.ServiceUnavailable()));
+      const response = await makeRequest(throwingNext(new createHttpError.ServiceUnavailable()));
 
       expect(response.status).toBe(SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE);
     });
@@ -29,14 +25,14 @@ describe('error-handler middleware', (): void => {
       const error = new createHttpError.ServiceUnavailable();
       const errorListener = jest.fn();
 
-      const response = await makeRequest(next(error), errorListener);
+      const response = await makeRequest(throwingNext(error), errorListener);
 
       expect(errorListener).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       expect(errorListener).toHaveBeenCalledWith(error, expect.objectContaining({ response }));
     });
 
     it('should return details about the error', async (): Promise<void> => {
-      const response = await makeRequest(next(new createHttpError.ServiceUnavailable()));
+      const response = await makeRequest(throwingNext(new createHttpError.ServiceUnavailable()));
 
       const id = blankNode();
       const expected = [
@@ -50,7 +46,7 @@ describe('error-handler middleware', (): void => {
 
   describe('for a non-http error', (): void => {
     it('should capture the error and return an error response', async (): Promise<void> => {
-      const response = await makeRequest(next('some-error'));
+      const response = await makeRequest(throwingNext());
 
       expect(response.status).toBe(INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
     });
@@ -59,14 +55,14 @@ describe('error-handler middleware', (): void => {
       const error = 'some-error';
       const errorListener = jest.fn();
 
-      const response = await makeRequest(next(error), errorListener);
+      const response = await makeRequest(throwingNext(error), errorListener);
 
       expect(errorListener).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       expect(errorListener).toHaveBeenCalledWith(error, expect.objectContaining({ response }));
     });
 
     it('should return details about the error', async (): Promise<void> => {
-      const response = await makeRequest(next('Some Error'));
+      const response = await makeRequest(throwingNext('Some Error'));
 
       const id = blankNode();
       const expected = [