diff --git a/test/ctor.test.js b/test/ctor.test.js
index 2435497..57920e6 100644
--- a/test/ctor.test.js
+++ b/test/ctor.test.js
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ var test = tap4nodeunit.test;
 
 test('ensure Logger creation options', function (t) {
     t.throws(function () { new Logger(); },
-        'options (object) is required',
+        /options \(object\) is required/,
         'no options should throw');
 
     t.throws(function () { new Logger({}); },
-        'options.name (string) is required',
+        /options\.name \(string\) is required/,
         'no options.name should throw');
 
     t.doesNotThrow(function () { new Logger({name: 'foo'}); },
@@ -31,22 +31,23 @@ test('ensure Logger creation options', function (t) {
 
     var options = {name: 'foo', stream: process.stdout, streams: []};
     t.throws(function () { new Logger(options); },
+        /cannot mix "streams" and "stream" options/,
         'cannot use "stream" and "streams"');
 
     // https://github.com/trentm/node-bunyan/issues/3
     options = {name: 'foo', streams: {}};
     t.throws(function () { new Logger(options); },
-        'invalid options.streams: must be an array',
+        /invalid options.streams: must be an array/,
         '"streams" must be an array');
 
     options = {name: 'foo', serializers: 'a string'};
     t.throws(function () { new Logger(options); },
-        'invalid options.serializers: must be an object',
+        /invalid options.serializers: must be an object/,
         '"serializers" cannot be a string');
 
     options = {name: 'foo', serializers: [1, 2, 3]};
     t.throws(function () { new Logger(options); },
-        'invalid options.serializers: must be an object',
+        /invalid options.serializers: must be an object/,
         '"serializers" cannot be an array');
 
     t.end();
@@ -63,11 +64,11 @@ test('ensure Logger constructor is safe without new', function (t) {
 
 test('ensure Logger creation options (createLogger)', function (t) {
     t.throws(function () { bunyan.createLogger(); },
-        'options (object) is required',
+        /options \(object\) is required/,
         'no options should throw');
 
     t.throws(function () { bunyan.createLogger({}); },
-        'options.name (string) is required',
+        /options\.name \(string\) is required/,
         'no options.name should throw');
 
     t.doesNotThrow(function () { bunyan.createLogger({name: 'foo'}); },
@@ -75,22 +76,23 @@ test('ensure Logger creation options (createLogger)', function (t) {
 
     var options = {name: 'foo', stream: process.stdout, streams: []};
     t.throws(function () { bunyan.createLogger(options); },
+        /cannot mix "streams" and "stream" options/,
         'cannot use "stream" and "streams"');
 
     // https://github.com/trentm/node-bunyan/issues/3
     options = {name: 'foo', streams: {}};
     t.throws(function () { bunyan.createLogger(options); },
-        'invalid options.streams: must be an array',
+        /invalid options.streams: must be an array/,
         '"streams" must be an array');
 
     options = {name: 'foo', serializers: 'a string'};
     t.throws(function () { bunyan.createLogger(options); },
-        'invalid options.serializers: must be an object',
+        /invalid options.serializers: must be an object/,
         '"serializers" cannot be a string');
 
     options = {name: 'foo', serializers: [1, 2, 3]};
     t.throws(function () { bunyan.createLogger(options); },
-        'invalid options.serializers: must be an object',
+        /invalid options.serializers: must be an object/,
         '"serializers" cannot be an array');
 
     t.end();
@@ -107,27 +109,28 @@ test('ensure Logger child() options', function (t) {
         'empty options should be fine too');
 
     t.throws(function () { log.child({name: 'foo'}); },
-        'invalid options.name: child cannot set logger name',
+        /invalid options.name: child cannot set logger name/,
         'child cannot change name');
 
     var options = {stream: process.stdout, streams: []};
     t.throws(function () { log.child(options); },
+        /cannot mix "streams" and "stream" options/,
         'cannot use "stream" and "streams"');
 
     // https://github.com/trentm/node-bunyan/issues/3
     options = {streams: {}};
     t.throws(function () { log.child(options); },
-        'invalid options.streams: must be an array',
+        /invalid options.streams: must be an array/,
         '"streams" must be an array');
 
     options = {serializers: 'a string'};
     t.throws(function () { log.child(options); },
-        'invalid options.serializers: must be an object',
+        /invalid options.serializers: must be an object/,
         '"serializers" cannot be a string');
 
     options = {serializers: [1, 2, 3]};
     t.throws(function () { log.child(options); },
-        'invalid options.serializers: must be an object',
+        /invalid options.serializers: must be an object/,
         '"serializers" cannot be an array');
 
     t.end();