diff --git a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Installer/InstallerTranslationTest.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Installer/InstallerTranslationTest.php
index 69b3352..f2f879e 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Installer/InstallerTranslationTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Installer/InstallerTranslationTest.php
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 namespace Drupal\system\Tests\Installer;
 
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\NestedArray;
+use Drupal\simpletest\TestSetUpException;
 use Drupal\system\Tests\InstallerTest;
 
 /**
@@ -43,9 +44,6 @@ protected function setUp() {
 
     // Prepare the environment for running tests.
     $this->prepareEnvironment();
-    if (!$this->setupEnvironment) {
-      return FALSE;
-    }
 
     // Reset all statics and variables to perform tests in a clean environment.
     $conf = array();
@@ -57,8 +55,9 @@ protected function setUp() {
     // write back to persistent caches when they are destructed.
     $this->changeDatabasePrefix();
     if (!$this->setupDatabasePrefix) {
-      return FALSE;
+      throw new TestSetUpException('The database prefix could not be changed for the test site.');
     }
+
     $variable_groups = array(
       'system.file' => array(
         'path.private' =>  $this->private_files_directory,
diff --git a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/InstallerTest.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/InstallerTest.php
index 5bbaab8..f068125 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/InstallerTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/InstallerTest.php
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 namespace Drupal\system\Tests;
 
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\NestedArray;
+use Drupal\simpletest\TestSetUpException;
 use Drupal\simpletest\WebTestBase;
 
 /**
@@ -38,9 +39,6 @@ protected function setUp() {
 
     // Prepare the environment for running tests.
     $this->prepareEnvironment();
-    if (!$this->setupEnvironment) {
-      return FALSE;
-    }
 
     // Reset all statics and variables to perform tests in a clean environment.
     $conf = array();
@@ -52,7 +50,7 @@ protected function setUp() {
     // write back to persistent caches when they are destructed.
     $this->changeDatabasePrefix();
     if (!$this->setupDatabasePrefix) {
-      return FALSE;
+      throw new TestSetUpException('The database prefix could not be changed for the test site.');
     }
     $variable_groups = array(
       'system.file' => array(